Objective:To observe the clinical effect of modified Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Tang on patient with lower-extremity arterial disease (LEAD) with deficiency of Qi and Yin and blood stasis syndrome, and study the antioxidant mechanism. Method:One hundred and twenty-eight patients were randomly divided into control group (64 cases) and observation group (64 cases) by random number table. Patients in control group was treated for controlling blood sugar, blood pressure and blood fat, and got probucol in the morning and evening, 0.5 g/time, 2 times/days, aspirin enteric-coated tablets for 3 months, 100 mg·d^-1, and alprostadil injection diluted with 10 mL normal saline for 15 days, 10 μg·d^-1, 1 time/day. A course of the treatment in control group was 15 days, and there were 4 courses. In addition to the therapy of control group, patients in observation group were additionally given modified Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Tang, 1 dose/day, for 3 months. Before and after treatment, ankle brachial index (ABI) and toe branch index (TBI) were detected, and internal diameter of dorsal artery of foot, peak velocity and blood flow were detected by color Doppler ultrasound. Main symptoms and sign were scored. And levels of interleukin-1 (IL-1), Homocysteine (Hcy), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), high sensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP), cystatin C (CysC), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and oxidized low density lipoprotein (OX-LDL) were detected. Result:According to the rank test, clinical effect in observation group was better than that in control group (P<0.05). And levels of ABI, TBI and SOD were higher than those in control group (P<0.01). The ameliorate of internal diameter of dorsal artery of foot, peak velocity and blood flow were better than those in control group, and scores of intermittent postscript, lower extremity pain, dorsalis pedis artery pulsation, skin color, skin temperature, numbness of limbs, swelling of extremities and the sign and levels of IL-1, Hcy TNF-α, hs-CRP, Cys-C and Ox-LDL were lower than those in control group (P<0.01). Conclusion:Modified Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Tang can relieve symptoms and signs, lower limb vascular function and hemodynamic, with certain anti-inflammatory effect and oxidative stress. It can also reduce vascular endothelial cell injury, and relieve and postpone the progress of LEAD

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of cluster needling at the scalp points on the expression of choline acetyl transferase (ChAT) and choline cholinesterase (AchE). METHODS: A total of 60 Wistar rats were randomized into a sham-operation group, a model group, a medication group and a cluster needling group, 15 rats in each one. In the model group, the medication group and the cluster needling group, the models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) were established by the orienteering injection with Aβ1-42 in the bilateral hippocampal CA1 in the rats. In the sham-operation group, the distilled water was injected in bilateral hippocampus of rats. In the medication group, the lavage with aricept was adopted for the basic treatment, once a day, for 4 weeks consecutively. In the cluster needling group, on the base of the treatment as the medication group, the cluster needling at the scalp points was adopted, once a day, 6 times a week, for 4 weeks totally. In the sham-operation group and the model group, the normal feeding was provided. After intervention, the learning and memory ability was measured with Morris water maze in the rats of each group. The changes in the hippocampal gross structure were observed with HE staining. The changes in the positive expressions of hippocampal ChAT and AchE were determined with the immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: Compared with the sham-operation group, the escape latency was prolonged and the percentage of the second quadrant and the frequency of platform leaping were reduced in the rats of the model group (all <0.01). Compared with the model group, the escape latency was shortened and the percentage of the second quadrant and the frequency of platform leaping were increased in the rats of the cluster needling group and the medication group (<0.05, <0.01). Compared with the medication group, the escape latency was shortened and the percentage of the second quadrant and the frequency of platform leaping were increased in the rats of the cluster needling group (all <0.05). Compared with the sham-operation group, the expression of ChAT was decreased and that of AchE increased in the model group (both <0.01). Compared with the model group, the difference was not significant in ChAT expression (>0.05) and the expression of AchE was reduced (<0.05) in the medication group; the expression of ChAT was increased (<0.05) and that of AchE decreased (<0.01) in the cluster needling group. Compared with the medication group, the expression of ChAT was increased and that of AchE decreased in the cluster needling group (both <0.05). CONCLUSION The effect mechanism of cluster needling at the scalp points on AD could be related to the up-regulation of ChAT expression and down-regulation of AchE expression in the hippocampus. The combined treatment with the cluster needling and aricept achieves the better therapeutic effect on AD.
Alzheimer Disease ; Animals ; Choline O-Acetyltransferase ; Hippocampus ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats, Wistar ; Scalp