Objective: To explore the molecular biological mechanism of acupuncture in intervening visual deprivation.
Methods: Forty-eight 2-week old Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, and 6 acupuncture groups (group C1: acupuncture at the unaffected side in early stage; group C2: acupuncture at the affected side in early stage; group D1: acupuncture at the unaffected side in mid-stage; group D2: acupuncture at the affected side in mid-stage; group E1: acupuncture at the unaffected side in late stage; group E2: acupuncture at the affected side in late stage) by the random number table, 6 rats in each group. Rats in the normal group didn’t receive any interventions. The rat model of deprivation amblyopia was established by unilateral eyelid suture in the model group and each acupuncture group. After successful modeling, rats in model group didn’t receive any treatments; rats in the acupuncture groups received acupuncture intervention which began respectively on the 3rd, 12th and 21st day after modeling. Pattern visual evoked potential (P-VEP) and N-methy D-aspartatreceptor-1 (NMDAR1) mRNA expression in visual cortex area 17 were detected at the end of acupuncture intervention in each group.
Results: After the intervention, the P-VEP waveform was significantly changed, with a significantly delayed P100 value (P<0.01) and significantly decreased amplitude of N45-P100 in the model group versus the normal group (P<0.01); the P-VEP waveform was significantly improved, with obviously earlier P100 (P<0.01) and increased amplitude of N45-P100 (P<0.05) in each acupuncture group versus the model group. The improvement effect of acupuncture on the P-VEP waveform in group C1 and C2 was more significant than that in group D1, D2, E1 and E2. The expression of NMDAR1 mRNA of the rat visual cortex area 17 in the model group was significantly lower than that in the normal group (P<0.01); and the expression of NMDAR1 mRNA in the visual cortex area 17 of each acupuncture group was significantly higher than that in the model group (P<0.05); the effect of acupuncture on NMDAR1 mRNA expression in group C1 and C2 was more significant than that in group D1, D2, E1 and E2; and the effect of acupuncture on NMDAR1 mRNA expression was better in group C2 than in group C1 (P<0.05); there was no significant difference in the expression of NMDAR1 mRNA between group D1 and D2, neither between E1 and E2 (P>0.05).
Conclusion: P-VEP waveform is abnormal and NMDAR1 mRNA expression in visual cortex area 17 is decreased in rats with monocularly-deprived amblyopia. Acupuncture in the sensitive period can significantly regulate the abnormal P-VEP waveform and the down-regulate the NMDAR1 mRNA expression of the visual cortex of rats with monocularly-deprived amblyopia. Early treatment in the sensitive period should be the key to obtaining the curative effect.

Objective:To explore therapeutic effect of Tanshinone IIA‐sulfonic sodium on patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and its influence on hemorheology ,cytokines and blood lipid levels .Methods :A total of 98 CHD patients treated in our hospital were selected .According to random number table ,they were randomly and e‐qually divided into routine treatment group and Tanshinone IIA group (received intravenous drip of Tanshinone IIA sulfonate sodium based on routine treatment group ) . Therapeutic effect , hemorheologic indexes , cytokines and blood lipid levels before and after treatment ,and adverse drug reaction were compared between two groups .Re‐sults:Compared with routine treatment group , there was significant rise in total effective rate (73.47% vs . 93.88% ) in tanshinone IIA group ,P=0.003. Compared with before treatment ,after treatment ,there were signif‐icant improvement in levels of blood lipid ,blood viscosity ,and cytokines in Tanshinone IIA group , P< 0.01 all . Compared with routine treatment group after treatment ,there was significant rise in HDL‐C level [ (1.32 ± 0.20) mmol/L vs .(1.74 ± 0.26) mmol/L] ,significant reductions in levels of LDL‐C [(3.27 ± 0.50) mmol/L vs .(2.03 ± 0.29) mmol/L] ,TG [ (2.69 ± 0.48) mmol/L vs .(1.43 ± 0.30) mmol/L] and TC [ (6.89 ± 1.02) mmol/L vs . (4.29 ± 0.71) mmol/L];significant reductions in plasma viscosity [ (2.59 ± 0.61) mPa s vs .(1.45 ± 0.32) mPa s] , whole blood viscosity [(4.63 ± 1.37) mPa s vs .(2.97 ± 0.85) mPa s] ,platelet adhesion rate [(36.73 ± 4.51)% vs . (30.74 ± 3.37)% ] ,levels of Fg [(4.12 ± 0.99) g/L vs .(3.04 ± 0.78) g/L] ,ICAM‐1 [(106.79 ± 30.15) pg/ml vs . (78.43 ± 14.52) pg/ml] ,CRP [(19.98 ± 3.89) mg/L vs .(10.82 ± 2.19) mg/L] and TNF‐α[(27.91 ± 4.78) pmol/L vs .(17.84 ± 3.56) pmol/L] in Tanshinone IIA group ,P<0.01 all .No severe adverse reaction was found in two groups .Conclusion:Tanshinone IIA sulfonate sodium possesses significant therapeutic effect on CHD patients .It can significantly improve patient′s hemorheology ,blood lipid and reduce cytokine levels ,and it′s safe and reliable .

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease. Moxibustion treatment for RA has significant efficacy, with high security and without dependency. It can alleviate the symptoms and make the body gradually return to normal level of immunity at the same time. This article reviewed the study on mechanism of moxibustion for the treatment of RA in recent years from the aspects of innate immunity, humeral immunity, cellular immunity, cytokines and immune organs, discussed the existing problems in relevant study, and provided a basis for clinic and future research.

Objective: To investigate the electrophysiological mechanism of acupuncture for the visual cortex plasticity during the sensitive period. Methods: Fifty 2-week-old Wistar rats were randomly divided into a blank control group, a model group, an early-stage acupuncture group, a middle-stage acupuncture group and a late-stage acupuncture group, 10 rats in each group. Monocular deprivation amblyopia models were prepared in rats except those in the blank control group by unilateral eyelid suture. After successful modeling, no treatment was applied to the rats in the model group. Rats in each acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at bilateral Jingming (BL 1), Cuanzhu (BL 2), Fengchi (GB 20) and Guangming (GB 37), started from the 3rd day, 12th day or 21st day after modeling separately, once a day, for a total of 9 d treatment. The neuronal discharge frequency and action potential inter-spike interval (ISI) in the rat visual cortex area 17 of each group were measured by multi-channel microelectrode array nerve signal technique. Results: The discharge number of neurons in the visual cortex of the model group was significantly lower than that in the blank control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the discharge numbers in the early-stage acupuncture group and the middle-stage acupuncture group were significantly higher than that in the model group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the discharge numbers between the late-stage acupuncture group and the model group (P>0.05). The discharge number in the middle-stage acupuncture group was lower than that in the early-stage acupuncture group (P<0.05), and the discharge number of the late-stage acupuncture group was lower than that in the middle-stage acupuncture group (P<0.05). The ISI sequences of the visual cortex neurons were mainly distributed under 0.3 s in the blank control group, under 15 s in the model group, under 1 s in the early-stage acupuncture group, under 4 s in the middle-stage acupuncture group, and under 10 s in the late-stage acupuncture group, divergent in each group. Conclusion: The neuronal coding appears abnormality in the visual cortex area 17 of monocular deprivation rats, indicating that there is a plasticity change in the visual cortex neurons during the sensitive period. Acupuncture has a significant effect on the abnormal neural coding. The therapeutic efficacy is closely related to the stage to start the treatment. Early stage treatment in the sensitive period is the key to achieving the good efficacy.

Objective To assess the therapeutic efficacy of trigger points (TrPs) combined with acupoints by acupuncture for subjective tinnitus (ST);To discuss the correlation of TrPs acupuncture inactivation and the releasing of symptom. Methods Sixty patients with ST were randomly divided into trial group and control group, 30 cases in each group. Those in trial group were acupunctured by TrPs combined with acupoints, and those in control group received regular acupuncture treatment. The scores of tinnitus severity assessment were available for effect evaluation after 3 treatment course. The size and tenderness degree of TrPs contraction knots were checked, and TrPs local thermal infrared spectrum was compared by infrared camera. Results The post-treatment tinnitus severity scores had significant difference compared with pre-therapy in each group (P<0.01). The total effective percentage of trial group with 93.33%(28/30) was obviously higher than control group with 86.67%(26/30) (P<0.05). The post-treatment and pre-therapy contraction knots size, tenderness and temperature difference of TrPs within trial groups had a very significant difference (P<0.01), and difference of tenderness and temperature of patients’ TrPs had a positive correlation with the difference of tinnitus severity scores before and after treatment (P<0.01). The contraction knots area of TrPs had not significant correlation with the difference of tinnitus severity scores (P>0.05). Conclusion TrPs combined with acupoints by acupuncture for ST patients are better than conventional acupoints in improving clinical symptoms. The deactivation of TrPs is closely related to tinnitus symptoms, therefore, temperature and tenderness of TrPs can be employed to assist in the diagnosis, or evaluated the tinnitus severity and therapeutic efficacy.

This paper analyzed the status of the medical students'volunteer services in China and abroad , dis-cussed the feasibility and necessity of medical students'volunteer service .The influence factors , elvaluation and ef-fectiveness of the medical students'volunteer services were sumed up , and its development tendency was also dis-cussed .The following suggestions were put forward , namely improving the volunteer service participation , making the voluntary service a routine work , aiming to giving references for medical schools and volunteer organizations car-rying out the medical students'volunteer services .

Objective This study aims to understand the characteristics of the time sequence of ICR mouse first mandibular molar tooth germ development through dynamic observation.Methods Tooth germ of Embryos (E11.5,E12.5,E13.5,E14.5,E15.5,E16.5,E17.5 and E18.5) and postnatal (PN1,PN2) mice were obtained.The heads (E11.5-E15.5) and mandibles (E16.5-PN2) of mice were dissected,fixed and embedded for serial sections and HE staining.All the results were assessed under light microscopy.Results The tooth germ underwent various development stages including the bud,cap and bell stages.Mouse odontogenesis was initiated at E11.5.Proliferation of oral epithelium formed the bud stage at E13.5.Then the cap stage was observed at E14.5-E15.5 and the bell stage was appeared beginning from E16.5.The pre-dentin was observed at PN1,as well as the dentin at PN2.Conclusions Establishing the regular development pattern of the first mandibular molar of ICR mice will provide a reliable basis for the future use in the specific tooth germ developmental research.

'Three-acupoint and Five-needle Method' is a summary of Prof. Shao Jing-ming's clinical experience in the treatment of asthma for years. It is used to alleviate asthma during seizure and to improve the pulmonary functions, strengthen the body constitution and prevent recurrence in the remission stage. This article introduces the theoretic source and basic principle, and concrete operating method, i.e. puncturing bilateral Feishu (BL 13), Dazhui (GV 14) and bilateral Fengmen (BL 12), and adding acupoints based upon pattern identification, in combination of moxibustion and cupping therapy for promoting the clinical application of this method.

Objective To observe the efficacy of Zheng’s “gold hook fishing acupuncture” in the treatment of scapulohumeral periarthritis. Methods Sixty patients were randomly divided into gold hook fishing group and reinforcing-reducing group, with 30 cases in each group. Gold hook fishing group chose the main points from the Tianzong (SI11), Bingfeng (SI12), Jiajixue (double EX-B2), Binao (LI14), Jianyu (LI15), Jianliao (SJ14), Jianzhen (SI9), Ashi, Naoshu (SI10), Quchi (LI11), Waiguan (SJ5), Hegu (LI4), Houxi (SI3), Tiaokou (ST38) and Chengshan (BL57). Needles were pierced at tendon junction points and Ashi points, and golden hook fishing acupuncture was operated. Other points were given reinforcing-reducing method. The reinforcing-reducing group was treated with reinforcing-reducing method at points the same as gold hook fishing group. Patients were treated once a day for 2 courses, 5 days as a treatment course. The pain visual analogue scale (VAS), shoulder range of motion (ROM), and ability of daily life (ADL) were observed before and after treatment to evaluate the clinical efficacy. Results The total effective rate of gold hook fishing group was 90.0% (27/30), better than the reinforcing-reducing group 83.3% (25/30, P<0.05); VAS pain score, ROM score and ADL score before and after treatment in the two groups were improved to some extent (P<0.05), and scores in the golden hook fishing group were improved more significantly compared with reinforcing-reducing group (P<0.05). Conclusion Zheng’s gold hook fishing acupuncture can effectively improve the clinical symptoms and signs of patients with scapulohumeral periarthritis and their life quality.

Objective To observe the biological characteristics of db/db mice, and to provide the basis for application of db/db mice in experimental research.Methods Spontaneous type 2 diabetes BKS.Cg-Dock7m +/+ Leprdb/JNju mice and wild type mice of the same age were used in this study.Their fasting blood glucose was determined at 8,12,16, 20 and 24 weeks of age, the body weight was recorded at 10, 12,16, 20 and 24 weeks of age, the levels of serum insulin, total cholesterol and triglyceride were measured, the organ weight and liver coefficient were determined, and the liver and pancreas were taken for pathological examination at 24 weeks of age.Results The db/db mice maintained a high level of fasting blood glucose and body weight.Levels of serum insulin, total cholesterol, and triglyceride were significantly higher than the wild type mice.Compared with wild type mice, liver weight and kidney weight were also significantly increased.Obvious pathological changes of liver and pancreas were observed in 24-week old db/db mice.Conclusions db/db mouse has obvious characteristics of type 2 diabetes, such as hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hyperinsulinemia, can maintain stable levels of high blood glucose,and is an ideal animal model for experimental study of type 2 diabetes mellitus.