Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; metabolism ; Propofol ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Respiration Disorders ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Yawning ; Young Adult

AIM:To observe the changes in serum cytokines in patients with lumbar disc herniation(LDH) following Shenshi Tongluo therapy(discharging damp and dredging collaterals).METHODS:①Forty-three patients with LDH(cold-damp arthralgia type) were selected from Wangjing Hospital,China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from February to December 2005,and randomly divided into experimental group(n =22) and control group(n =21).The informed consent was obtained from all subjects.Meanwhile,30 healthy volunteers were selected as controls.②The patients in the experimental group orally took modified Semen Coicis decoction(Semen Coicis,eucommia bark,Radix dipsaci,cocculi,Chinese clematis root,caulis millettiae,angelica root,achyranthis,and paeoniae radix) according to Shenshi Tongluo therapy,one dose daily for 4 weeks.The patients in control group took Yaotong Ning capsule,4 pills per day,once daily for 4 weeks.③ Contents of serum interleukin-1 ?(IL-1?),IL-6,tumor necrosis factor-?(TNF-?) in patients were detected using radioimmunoassay before and after treatment.Clinical outcome was evaluated using visual analog scale(VAS) and assessment criteria for low lumbar pain of Japanese Orthopedic Association(JOA).RESULTS:①Contents of serum IL-1?,IL-6,and TNF-? in patients were higher than healthy people(P

OBJECTIVETo observe clinical therapeutic effect of head point-through-point electroacupuncture on Parkinson's disease and the mechanism.

METHODSSeventy-six cases of Parkinson's disease were randomly divided into a treatment group (n=37) treated with head point-through-point electroacupuncture and oral administration of madopa, and a control group (n=39) with only oral administration of madopa. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lipids peroxides (LPO) were determined before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe effective rate was 97.3% in the treatment group and 61.5% in the control group with a very significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.01). SOD activity and LPO content were significantly improved after treatment in the treatment group (P < 0.01), with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONHead point-through-point electroacupuncture can improve SOD activity and LPO content in the body so as to cure Parkinson's disease.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Aged ; Electroacupuncture ; methods ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxides ; analysis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parkinson Disease ; metabolism ; therapy ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Panniculitis ; physiopathology ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; pathology ; physiopathology

AIM: To investigate the immunological function of sodium butyrate-induced immature dendritic cells in vitro.METHODS: The human monocyte-derived dendritic cells were induced in the presence of human granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor(GM-CSF) and interleukin-4 (IL-4), combined with sodium butyrate. The immunological function of sodium butyrate-induced dendritic cells was detected by the FCM, endocytic activity, T cells stimulatory proliferation capacity, and interleukin-12 (IL-12) production.RESULTS: Sodium butyrate could down-regulate the major histocompatibility complex(MHC) class II and costimulatory molecules of dendritic cells, increase the endocytic activity, induce a stage of T-cell anergey, and inhibit the T helper cell type 1-skewing factor IL-12 production. CONCLUSION: Sodium butyrate inhibits the maturation of dendritic cells and induces production of immature dendritic cells, which may help to explore the machenism of its epigenitic modification.

BACKGROUND: The immature dendritic cell (imDC) can induce immunological tolerance and has widely application in the field of organ transplant. At present, the methods of inducing imDC are insufficient, so the new induction method is demanding.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of sodium butyrate (SB) on the maturation and immunological function of human peripheral blood-derived imDC.DESIGN: Controlled observation and in vitro cytological trial.SETTING: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.MATERIALS: Five samples of human peripheral blood were obtained from the healthy volunteers (aged 20-23 years) of Sun Yat-sen University, totally 500 mL. Then peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and lymphocytes were isolated within 2 hours.METHODS: The experiment was carried out in the Medical Research Center of the Second Hospital Affiliated to Sun (1 mmol/L) was added for induction, while those supplemented with maturation promoting factor lipopolysaccharide (LPS)the beginning of induction, while LPS was added on the sixth day for second stimulation.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cell morphological change, flow cytometry was used to detect DC phenotype,FITC-labeled Dextran was used to detect the endocytosis of DC, the production of IL-12 was determined by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the proliferation of lymphocyte induced by DC was assayed with mixed lymphocyte reaction.expressions of CD80, CD83 and HLA-DR were significantly lower in the imDC of routine induction group following SB maturity promoting, compared with LPS group (P＜0.01). On the sixth day, LPS was added into the SB-induced imDC,Endocytosis of DC: The imDC of routine induction group possessed a significantly lower endocytic activity after induced by LPS, and there were extremely significant differences compared with blank control group and SB maturation Production of IL-12: The production of IL-12 in the mDC induced by LPS was significantly higher than that in control group, SB maturation promoting group and SB induction group, the mDC induced by LPS in routine induction group stimulated significantly stronger proliferation of lymphocyte (P＜0.01).

Objective To provide updated recommendations for further adjustment of iodine deficiency disorders control strategy by evaluating awareness of the dangers of iodine deficiency disorders and their prevention and control measures among local residents and the willingness of choosing iodized or non-iodized salt in urban communities of Jiangsu province.Methods Trained health service workers did questionnaire investigation on iodine deficiency disorders prevention knowledge by calling computer-randomly selected family telephone numbers in every two blocks of provincial capital (Nanjing) and coastal city (Nantong) in Jiangsu province in 2010.The survey topics covered include:when supplied with both non-iodized and iodized salt,what kind of salt the local residents chose and the reasons; residents awareness of the dangers of iodine deficiency disorders and their prevention and control measures; resident's personal information(including only occupational category and age group).Key fields were rechecked from 10％ randomly selected valid questionnaires.Results Four hundred and fifty-five valid questionnaires were obtained by calling 2021 randomized telephone numbers in Nanjing and Nantong cities.After 10.1％(46/455) of the valid questionnaires were rechecked,the total coincidence rate was 87.0％(40/46).In the two cities,there were 73.2％ (333/455) of those 455 respondents saying they would choose iodized salt when iodized and non-iodized salt were supplied at the same time.There were 69.0％(314/455) of respondents had heard of iodine deficiency disorders,of which 79.6％(250/314) of them were aware of the dangers of iodine deficiency is endemic goiter,and 10.8％ (34/314) of them knew that iodine deficiency can cause varying degrees of mental damage.With respect to useful preventive methods of iodine deficiency disorders,there were 69.4％ (218/314) respondents know that eating iodized salt,and 41.1％ (129/314) respondents know that taking laver or kelp would prevent iodine deficiency disorders.Conclusions Remarkable achievements on iodine deficiency disorders health promotion and health education have been gained in urban communities of both the provincial capital and the coastal city Jiangsu province.However,some of the people are still not very clear why we should eat iodized salt.Salt industry in the current management system,is still premature to provide iodized salt and non-iodized salt simultaneously now.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical therapeutic effect of combination of Source Point and Back-Shu Point on perimenopausal syndrome, and provide a new thought of therapy for perimenopausal syndrome.

METHODSEighty cases of perimenopausal syndrome were randomly divided into a combination of Source Point and Back-Shu Point group and a routine acupuncture group, 40 cases in each group. The combination of Source Point and Back-Shu Point group was treated with acupuncture at Taixi (KI 3), Taichong (LR 3), Taibai (SP 3), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Shenshu (BL 23), Ganshu (BL 18), Pishu (BL 20), Guanyuan (CV 4); and the routine acupuncture group was treated with acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Guanyuan (CV 4), Shenshu (BL 23), Taixi (KI 3), San-yinjiao (SP 6). The Kupperman score and the changes of serum estradiol (E2), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were observed before and after treatment in the two groups.

RESULTSThe total effective rate of 92.5% in the combination of Source Point and Back-Shu Point group was superior to 80.0% in the routine acupuncture group, with a significant difference (P < 0. 05); the Kupperman score of 24. 85 +/- 8.35 in the combination of Source Point and Back-Shu Point group was significantly decreased as compared with 35.38 +/- 9.83 in the routine acupuncture group (P < 0.05) after treatment; the contents of E2, FSH and LH in the combination of Source Point and Back-Shu Point group were significantly improved after treatment, and with a significant difference compared to the routine acupuncture group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCombination of Source Point and Back-Shu Point has a benign regulation function for E2, FSH and LH, and can significantly improve the Kupperman score, is superior to routine acupuncture for perimenopausal syndrome.

Acupuncture ; methods ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Estradiol ; blood ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Middle Aged ; Perimenopause ; blood ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome

Mitochondria regulate numerous crucial cell processes, including energy production, apoptotic cell death, oxidative stress, calcium homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Here, we applied an efficient mitochondria-based centrifugal ultrafiltration/liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method,also known as screening method for mitochondria-targeted bioactive constituents (SM-MBC). This method allowed searching natural mitochondria-targeting compounds from traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs), including Puerariae Radix (PR) and Chuanxiong Radix (CR). A total of 23 active compounds were successfully discovered from the two TCMs extracts. Among these 23 hit compounds, 17 were identified by LC/MS, 12 of which were novel mitochondria-targeting compounds. Among these, 6 active compounds were analyzed in vitro for pharmacological tests and found able to affect mitochondrial functions. We also investigated the effects of the hit compounds on HepG2 cell proliferation and on loss of cardiomyocyte viability induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation injury. The results obtained are useful for in-depth understanding of mechanisms underlying TCMs therapeutic effects at mitochondria level and for developing novel potential drugs using TCMs as lead compounds. Finally, we showed that SM-MBC was an efficient protocol for the rapid screening of mitochondria-targeting constituents from complex samples such as PR and CR extracts.