Objective: The topographical mapping technique of brain evoked potential was used to observe the changes of the functional activities in the cortical somatosensory area I (SⅠ) during imitating the sensation conduction along the Meridian (SCM). The formation mechanism of sensation conduction was discussed here. Method: 26 healthy adult volunteers were chosen as observe object. Cerebral electric signal processing system was used to record topographical mapping of evoked potential in SⅠ outside the skull. Soft paintbrush was used to slightly brush the Gall Bladder Meridian (GBM) to imitate the sensation conduction. Result: Evoking responses appeared in both foot and face representation areas in SⅠ of 11 healthy volunteers without conduction sensation during imitation of sensation conduction along the GBM (SCGBM), which coincided with the distribution of responses evoked in SI during sensation conduction along Meridian . 15 healthy volunteers were offered imitation of SCGBM as well as brushing through the upper arm additionally, while, the results showed that the evoking responses appeared in the foot, the upper arm and the face representation area of SⅠ. So, it formed a high potential response belt that was similar to the course occurred during the imitation of SCM. Conclusion: The external stimulation along the meridian course can change the distribution of evoking responses in SⅠduring stimulating point. The results provide experimental evidence for the supposition that “activation in sequence in periphery” is the decisive factor for the formation of SCM.

BACKGROUND: Without any external stimuli in natural environment, it is applicable to observe the infrared radiant track over human body surface that is in conformity basically with the running courses of ancient fourteen meridians.OBJECTIVE: To probe into the influence of electroacupuncture on infrared radiant track along meridian courses over human body surface.DESIGN: Self-controlled opening experiment.SETTING: Department of Meridian Research of Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Fujian Province.PARTICIPANTS: The experiment was performed in Key Laboratory of Meridian Research of Fujian Province from January 2000 to December 2002. Totally 53 students from Department of Acupuncture and Massage of Fujian College of Chinese Medicine were observation, of which, 38 students were males, 15 students were females, aged varied from 19 to 23years.METHODS: The receptors exposed completely the body areas required and sat quietly for 20 to 30 minutes to adapt to the environmental temperature. In natural state, 6T67 infrared thermo tracer produced by Japanese San-Ei Company was used to observe 1 to 2 infrared radiant tracks in advance as the control before acupuncture (scanned once per second). Afterwards, acupuncture was done on Guangming (GB 37), Neiguan (PC 6) and Dazhui (GV 14). The stimulation was given by a pair of stainless filiform needles, 6.6 cm long. The frequency of effectric pulse was 2 Hz, and 0.2 ms in duration. The video record was taken once every 5 to 10 minutes during stimulation. After acupuncture, 1 to 2 infrared radiant tracks were scanned.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Tracks of isothermal display and whole thermal display on infrared thermography.infrared radiant track along meridian courses over the human body surface high basic temperature, acupuncture decreased skin temperature on infrared radiant track along meridian courses over the human body surface in a part of subjects. The skin temperature of a part of subjects was decreased acupuncture increased skin temperature on infrared radiant track along though it did not great affect the skin temperature on infrared radiant track along meridian courses over the human body surface in a part of subjects,acupuncture induced infrared radiant track to be more continuous and human body surface, acupuncture stimulates the infrared radiant track displayed along the meridians over human body surface, too.CONCLUSION: Infrared radiant track along meridian courses over the human body surface is a kind of normal life phenomenon existed commonly among peoples. Acupuncture not only induces the infrared radiant track of the related meridian, but also alters the skin temperature of the displayed infrared radiant track along meridian courses and makes it become more continuous and regular. Changes in tissue temperature are relevant necessarily with altered energetic metabolism. It is suggested that infrared radiant track along meridian courses is closely contributed to functional regulation of the human body.

Objective The study examined the influence on marginal bone levers at implants which implants were assigned to open healing and implant-abutment connection restored according to a platform-switching concept. Methods One implant were placed in the first molar of mandible of 48 patients , randomly assigned to open (OH) or submerge (SH) healing. Standardized radiographs were obtained after implant surgery, when implant transfer and crown mounting, and 6 ,12 and 24 months after implants restoration, then evaluated for implant-bone-lever alterations(ΔIBL). Results After 6 months after implants restoration,ΔIBL were (-0.25 ± 0.08)mm mm(OH)and (-0.26 ± 0.12)mm(SH). After 12 months follow-up, ΔIBL were (-0.29 ± 0.13)mm (OH)and (-0.31 ± 0.14) mm(SH), and after 24 months later, ΔIBLwere (-0.34 ± 0.15)mm(OH)and (-0.33 ± 0.11)mm (SH). Conclusions Platform-switched implants showed very limited peri-implant bone-lever alterations. The healing-mode neither affected the total amount nor the temporal patterns of ΔIBL.

Objective:The topographical mapping technique of cortical evoked potential was used to observe the changes of the functional activities in the primary somatosensory area of cortex (SI) during external stimulation,the immanent relation between external stimulation and topographical mapping of cortical somatosensory evoked potential (CSEP). Methods:33 healthy adult volunteers were under observation. Cerebral electric signal processing system was used to lead CSEP on the scalp. The external stimulation was applied as following:①A soft paintbrush was used to slightly brush the face only. ②Paintbrush was used to slightly brush the lower limb only. ③Paintbrush was used to slightly brush the trunk only. ④Paintbrush was used to slightly brush the lower limb or the trunk or the Gallbladder Meridian (GBM) and passing the upper arm by imitating the speed of meridian transmission phenomenon respectively. Results:①Evoking responses appeared in the foot areas in SI,without meridian transmission phenomenon when brushing the face,lower limb or trunk only. ②Healthy volunteers were offered imitation of sensation conduction along the GBM as well as brushing through the upper arm in addition,while,the results showed that the evoking responses appeared in the foot,the upper arm and the face representation area of SI simultaneously. Conclusion:The external stimulation along the meridian course was able to change the distribution of evoking responses in SI during stimulating acupoint. But the local stimulating on face,lower limb or trunk can not change the distribution of CSEP. The results provided experimental evidence for the supposition that 'activation in sequence in periphery'was the decisive factor for the formation of meridian transmission phenomenon.

Objective To explore the mechanism of blood-stage treatment in patients with psoriasis vulgaris through studying the level change of IFN-?, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-17 in patients with blood-stage treatment during activity and quiescence period separately. Methods 20 patients with psoriasis vulgaris in active stage(blood heat syndrome)and 20 patients with psoriasis vulgaris in resting stage(blood stasis syndrome) were recruitedto observe the treatment effects by the PASI score,and to observe thechange of IFN-?, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17 before and after treatment in the serum by ELISA. Results The PASI scores of two groups were both significantly decreased after treatment (blood heat syndrome group t=6.685, P<0.01;blood stasis syndrome group t=4.959, P<0.01). The levels of cytokines were significantly different between patients in the periods of activity and quiescence. Onvarying degrees, the levels of cytokines of two groups were improved after treatment. The levels of cytokines IFN-?, IL-17 in blood heat group significantly decreased(t=3.024, P<0.01;t=2.543, P<0.05). The levels of cytokines IL-17 drop but the levels of cytokines IL-4 raised in blood stasis group,that were significantly differentwith the levels before treatment(t=2.417, P<0.05; t=2.547, P<0.05). Conclusion The levels of INF-?, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-17 could be effectively modulated with blood-stage treatment in treating psoriasis vulgaris.

Objective: To investigate the distribution features of somatosensory cortical evoked potential map with augmented blocking of the sensation transmission along meridians.Method: The EEG-4400 electro-encephalogram (EEG) and ND-1 brain electrical activity mapping were adopted on 11 volunteers with remarkable sensation transmission along meridians, showing that the sensation can transmit to head and face after stimulating the points below the knee joints. Also, special observation was made on accurate location of somatosensory cortical evoked potential map in 10 people without sensation transmission.Result: Observation on 11 volunteers with remarkable transmission along the Three Foot-yang Meridians showed that they presented with concurrent high potential reactions in somatosensory cortical lower limbs and face without blocking the augmented sensation transmission along the meridians; however, when mechanical pressure was exerted to block the sensation transmission,only one reaction in the lower limbs occurred in the somatosensory cortical evoked map and the other one in the face disappeared. Conclusion: Peripheral tissue evoking is the decisive factor for transmission along the meridians.

Objective To observe the effect of electroacupuncture(EA) of different acupoints on electroretinogram(ERG) and cerebral visual evoked potentials(VEP) in healthy subjects so as to evaluate the relative specificity of the function of acupoints.Methods A total of 33 healthy adult volunteers were observed in the present study.The subject was asked to lie on a testing bed for a while,two disk electrodes were respectively fixed to the suborbital region and the occiput(the crossing point,5cm apart from the right median line of the head and 5cm above the ear),and the reference electrode was fixed to the medial side of the earlobe for recording ERG and cerebral VEP separately.The testing room was asked to keep faint light during the whole recording process.A flash stimulation(frequency 1 Hz) was applied to the subject's eye(with a distance of about 50 cm between the light source and the tested eye,and the other eye was covered by an eyepatch).EA(0.5 Hz,0.2 ms and 3-4 V) was applied to Guangming(GB 37),Neiguan(PC 6) and Zusanli(ST 36) for 30 min respectively in different testing days(with the interval being 3 days at least).ERG and cerebral VEP were recorded by using Polygraphy(RM-6200).Results Following EA of Guangming(GB 37),Neiguan(PC 6) and Zusanli(ST 36),the changing values(increase and decrease) of the amplitude of b waves of ERG and P100 waves of cerebral VEP were(19.68?12.61)% and(12.84?14.08)%,(6.09?14.06)% and(5.61?8.01)%,(2.39?3.52)% and(5.43?8.22)%,respectively,while those of b waves of ERG and P100 waves of cerebral VEP of GB 37 were significantly bigger than those of PC 6 and ST 36(P

Abstract: The design space of the high shear wet granulation process was established and validated within the framework of quality by design (QbD). The system of microcrystalline cellulose-de-ioned water was used in this study. The median granule size and bulk density of granules were identified as critical quality attributes. Plackeet-Burmann experimental design was used to screen these factors as follows: dry mixing time, the impeller and chopper speed of dry mixing, water amount, water addition time, wet massing time, the impeller and chopper speed of wet massing and drying time. And the optimization was implemented with the central composite experimental design based on screened critical process parameters. The design space of the high shear wet granulation process was established based on the quadratic polynomial regression model. Since the P-values of both models were less than 0.05 and values of lack of fit were more than 0.1, the relationship between critical quality attributes and critical process parameters could be well described by the two models. The reliability of design space, illustrated by overlay plot, was improved with the addition of 95% confidence interval. For those granules whose process parameters were in the design space, the granule size could be controlled within 250 to 355 μm, and the bulk density could be controlled within a range of 0.4 to 0.6 g x cm(-3). The robustness and flexibility of the high shear wet granulation process have been enhanced via the establishment of the design space based on the QbD concept.

This study was aimed to find out the correlation between chemical component contents and physical prop-erties of tanshinone extract powders. The contents of cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA from 50 batches of tanshi-none extract powders were determined by HPLC. And the physical properties were determined by classical methods. The correlation analysis between component contents and physical properties were also investigated. The results showed that two sets of variables had good intraclass correlation, especially for the contents of cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA, among D10, D50, D90, there were relatively strong correlation between the bulk density and tapped density, between the Hausner ratio and compressibility index. The angle of repose had a certain correlation with the uniformity, Hausner ratio and compressibility index, but with no strong correlation. The correlation coefficient be-tween two sets was below 0.400, suggesting there was a not so good inter-group correlation. After the canonical cor-relation analysis, three pairs of canonical variables had significant correlations with correlation coefficients being 0.851, 0.674 and 0.565, respectively. It was concluded that there was a good intraclass correlation for each of physi-cal and/or chemical quality set, but the correlation between the two sets was bad. Canonical variables performed bet-ter inter-group correlation compared with original variables, indicating there was a certain correlation between chem-ical and physical quality attributes of tanshinone extract powders.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) on the expression of migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in acute spinal cord injury (ASCI) in rats. METHODS: Allen's weight-drop method was used to establish a rat model of ASCI at T10. A total of 110 adult SD rats were divided into a sham operation group (group S, n=10), a control group (group C, n=50), and a TMP group (group T, n=50). Spinal cord functionality was measured by a modified Rivilin loxotic plate degree, BBB score, and combined behavioral score (CBS) at 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 21 d postoperatively. The injured spinal cord tissue samples were harvested at 1, 3, 6, 12 h and 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21 d postoperatively (n=5 at each time point) and used to prepare continuous histological sections, in which the expression of MIF was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The degree in group T measured by modified Rivlin loxotic plate test after the ASCI was significantly higher than that in group C at 7, 14, and 21 d (P<0.05). BBB score in group T was significantly higher than that in group C at 5, 7, 14, and 21 d after the ASCI (P<0.05). CBS score in group C was significantly higher than that in group T at 5, 7, 14, and 21 d after the ASCI (P<0.05). The significantly low number of MIF positive cells was shown in group T when compared with that in group C at 12 h and 1, 3, 5, 7 d after the ASCI (P<0.05). As time passed, there was negative correlation between modified Rivlin loxotic plate degree and MIF expression and also between BBB score and MIF, and there was positive correlation between CBB score and MIF expression. CONCLUSION TMP has protective effect after the ASCI, and may promote the repair of injured spinal cord tissues. TMP may decrease the MIF expression in cells after the ASCI.
Animals ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intramolecular Oxidoreductases ; metabolism ; Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors ; metabolism ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; metabolism