Objective:To observe the clinical effects of herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA).
Methods:A total of 120 cases with KOA were randomly divided into two groups by the random digital table, 60 cases in each group. The herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion (HCPM) group was treated by herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion, once per day and five days per week, with ten sessions as one course. The Western medication (WM) group was treated by the oral administration of Diclofenac Sodium Sustained-release Tablets. The knee functions of the patients were assessed by Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) before and after the treatment. The clinical effects were observed in the two groups after four-week continuous treatment.
Results:The total effective rate was 86.7% in the HCPM group and 73.3% in the WM group. The difference in the total effective rate between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). After treatment, WOMAC scores in the two groups were statistically different than those of the same group before the treatment (bothP<0.05); the difference between the two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05).
Conclusion:Herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion and oral administration of Diclofenac Sodium Sustained-release Tablets can improve the knee functions of KOA patients, but the therapeutic effect was better by herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion than by oral administration of Diclofenac Sodium Sustained-release Tablets.

OBJECTIVETo compare the difference between the acupoint embedding therapy and polyene phosphatidylcholine capsules in the clinical efficacy on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency pattern.

METHODSThe multi-center clinical trial was adopted and 180 cases of NAFLD of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency pattern were randomized into an embedding therapy group and a western medication group, 90 cases in each one. On the basis of general treatment such as diet control and proper physical exercise, in the embedding therapy group, the acupoint embedding therapy was applied to Ganshu (BL 18), Tai-chong (LR 3), Fenglong (ST 40), Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), once every 7 days; in the western medication group, polyene phosphatidylcholine capsules (essentiale) were prescribed, 228 mg/capsule, 2 capsules each time, three times a day. In 6 months of treatment, TCM syndrome score, liver enzymology, blood lipid and abdomen B-ultrasound examination were observed and compared before and after treatment between the two groups.

RESULTS(1) For TCM syndrome score, the total score in the embedding therapy group was lower significantly than that in the western medication group (P<0. 05); (2) For liver enzymology and blood lipid, the levels of serum alanine transarninase (ALT), serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (AST), total cholesterol (TC) and triacylglycerol (TG) in the embedding therapy group were reduced significantly as compared with those in the western medication group (all P<0. 05); (3) For abdomen B-ultrasound examination, the fatty liver degree in the embedding therapy group was relieved significantly as compared with that in the western medication group (P< 0. 05); (4) For clinical efficacy, the total effective rate was 89. 8%o (79/88) in the embedding therapy group, higher significantly than 76. 7% (69/90) in the western medication group(P<0. 05).

CONCLUSIONThe acupoint embedding therapy achieves the definite efficacy on NAFLD of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency pattern, better than polyene phosphatidylcholine capsules.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Catgut ; utilization ; Female ; Humans ; Liver ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Spleen ; physiopathology ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Objective:To observe the clinical effects of acupoint thread-embedding method for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in pattern of liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency.
Methods: A total of180 cases in conformity with the diagnostic criteria of NAFLD in pattern of liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, 90 cases in each group, and finally 88 cases in the treatment group and 90 cases in the control group were recruited for statistics. The treatment group was managed by acupoint thread-embedding method, and the control group was treated by oral administration of Polyene Phosphatidylcholine capsules. Both groups were treated for 6 months. Before and after the treatment, liver enzymology, blood fat test, abdominal B ultrasonic examination, and assessment of clinical effects were respectively processed.
Results:After treatment, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TG) decreased in the treatment group, and were significantly different from those in the control group after treatment (allP<0.05). There was no statistically significant inter-group difference in the degree of fatty liver (by B ultrasound examination) before treatment (P>0.05). After treatment, the improvement degree of fatty liver in the treatment group was more significant than that in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rates were 89.8% in the treatment group and 76.7% in the control group, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05).
Conclusion:The acupoint thread-embedding method can reduce the levels of ALT, AST, TC and TG in NAFLD patients, and can improve the pathologic degree of fatty liver and its clinical effects are remarkably better than that of oral medications.

OBJECTIVETo determine the effects of estrogen deficiency on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of mandibular bone marrow stromal cells (mBMSC).

METHODSTen 8-week-old female SD rats were randomly divided into two groups, ovariectomized group (OVX, n = 5) and sham-operation group (n = 5). All rats were anesthetized and both ovaries of OVX-rats were gently removed. Sham-operation rats were treated with the same incisions to expose the ovaries but without any hurt to them. One month after the operation, the mandibular bones were gently separated and mBMSC were isolated. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, alkaline phosphotase (ALP) activity, alizarin red staining, real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and Western blotting were respectively used to examine the proliferative activity and osteogenic potential of mBMSC.

RESULTSMTT results showed that OVX-mBMSC exhibited the decreased proliferative activity as compared with Sham-mBMSC. ALP activity of OVX-mBMSC [(0.710±0.011) Sigma unit/protein] was lower than that of Sham-mBMSC [(1.512±0.021) Sigma unit/protein] (P < 0.01). Alizarin red staining showed that OVX-mBMSC formed less calcified nodules than Sham-mBMSC. Ca(2+) concentration analysis showed Ca(2+) of OVX-mBMSC [(0.433±0.045) µg/g] was less than Sham-mBMSC [(1.453±0.131) µg/g] (P < 0.01). Real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting results showed that the expression of osteogenic markers (Alp, Runx2/RUNX2, Osx/OSX, Ocn/OCN) in OVX-mBMSC was significantly inhibited as compared with Sham-mBMSC (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSEstrogen deficiency significantly inhibits the proliferation and osteogenic capacity of mBMSC.

Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Estrogens ; deficiency ; Female ; Mandible ; cytology ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; physiology ; Osteogenesis ; Ovariectomy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley