OBJECTIVETo explore the efficacy and effect mechanism of the combined therapy of acupuncture and tapping method in the treatment of obesity and hyperlipidemia of liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency pattern in the patients.

METHODSOne hundred and four female patients were randomized into a combined therapy of acupuncture and tapping (combined therapy group) group method and an acupuncture group, 52 cases in each group. In the acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied to Qimen (LR 14), Taichong (LR 3), Zhangmen (LR 13), Taibai (SP 3), Zusanli (ST 36), Geshu (BL 17), Ganshu (BL 18), Pishu (BL 20), etc. In the combined therapy group, on the basis of acupuncture treatment, the tapping method with plum blossom needle was used at each acupoint. The treatment was given once every two days, continuously for 3 months in the two groups. The indices were observed, including the obesity indices, such as body mass, body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (F%) and obesity degree (A); the blood lipid levels such as total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL); the fat-islet axie relevant indices such as fasting plasma glucose (FBS), fasting leptin (FLP), fasting insulin (FINS), insulin sensitive index (ISI), insulin resistance in- dex (Homa IR), insulin secretion index (Homa-β) and autonomic nerve function index (Y value) before and after treatment in the patients of two groups. The efficacy was compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe total effective rates were 96.2% (50/52) and 84.6% (44/52) in the combined therapy group and the acupuncture group respectively, without significant difference in comparison (P > 0.05). Obesity indices, blood lipid indices, fat-islet axie relevant indices and autonomic nerve function indices were all improved after treatment as compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), and the improvements in the combined therapy group were much more significant (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe combined therapy of acupuncture and tapping method achieves the double effects of weight loss and lipid loss in the treatment of obesity combined with hyperlipidemia. The effect mechanism is possibly related to the positive regulations of blood glucose, lipid metabolism and fat-islet axie in the patients.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Insulin ; metabolism ; Leptin ; metabolism ; Liver ; physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Qi ; Spleen ; physiopathology ; Treatment Outcome ; Triglycerides ; metabolism ; Young Adult

Objective Laterally spreading tumor (LST) has a close relationship with colorectal cancer, its diagnosis and treatment are differed from those of ordinary protuded tumors. The aim of this study is to attract much attention to this particular tumor. Methods Four thousand two hundred and ten patients were examined with magnifying endoscope and mucosa staining from December, first 2000 to May 31 , 2002. Results In 34 patients with LST, there were 35 lesions, including granular type 15, nodular - mixed type 18, and pseudocaved 2; and there were 4 patients with intramucosa carcinoma and other 2 with serrated adenoma. The biggest lesion is 68 mm ? 85 mm, and the smallest 11 mm? 12 mm. Of the 35 lesions the diameters are 8 within 11 -20 mm, 13, 21 -30 mm and 14 above 31mm. The pit patterns of the 35 lesions are mainly IV pit patterns, about 62. 9% (22/35). The pathological diagnoses of 3 patients with VA pit patterns LST are intramucosa carcinoma, and 8 patients with Ⅲ L pit patterns are tubulovillous adenoma. All of the 35 lesions are resected by EMR or EPMR. Complication occurred in two patients during treatment of EMR such as hemorrhage and local peritonitis. Conclusion Mucosa staining and magnifying endoscopy is very useful in detecting LST. We must pay more attention to those signs, such as reddish and eneven mucosa or unclear or interrupted vascular network. Furthermore it is necessary to stain the mucosa with indigo carmine spray to get the evidences of flat tumor. Pit patterns of LST mostly are IV or ⅢL, and LST with Ⅳ pit patterns are mainly villous adenoma, ⅢL tubular adenoma, while LST with the Ⅴ pit pattern signifies the cancerated metaplasia.

The physical and chemical factors affecting the allergenic potency of the house bdust mite Dermatophagoides farinae extract were determined by skin test and ELISA technique in the asthmatic patients sensitive to the mite. The results showed that the allergenic potency of the extract could be reduced by heat sterilization, trypsin trea-tment and lyophization,but not lost completely,and that the potency could be increasedby supersonic treatment and repeated freeze-thaw(but less than 10 times).It was alsoshowed that the allergenic potency of the extract preserved at -20℃ was more stablethan those preserved at 4℃ or at room temperature,and that the mite extract preservedat 4℃ more than 9 years still had allergenic potency.

This paper reported a new method of Armillaria mellea isolation-Gastrodia elata tissue isolating. Compared with normal isolating method-rhizomorph isolating method, it showed that the success rate of new method (78% ) was higher than the rhizomorph isolating method (16% ) , besides this, the new method was easier, and growth characteristic of obtained strain was superior to that obtained from rhizomorph isolating method.

To develop a LC-MS/MS method for the determination of protocatechuic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, salvianolic acid A, salvianolic acid B, cryptotanshinone and tanshinone II(A) in rat plasma and brain. The plasma and brain samples were precipitated with ethyl acetate, then were separated on an Agilent eclipse plus-C18 column (2.1 mm x 50 mm, 3.5 microm) using acetonitrile (consisting of 0.1% formic acid) and water (consisting of 0.1% formic acid) as mobile phase in gradient elution mode. The mass spectrometer was operated under both positive and negative ion mode with the ESI source, and the detection was performed by MRM. The transition of 154.3/153.1 m/z for protocatechuic acid, 137.3/108 m/z for protocatechuic aldehyde, 493.0/295.2 m/z for Salvianolic acid A, 718.0/520.0 m/z for salvianolic acid B, 321.4/152.3 m/z for chloramphenicol, 297.4/254.3 m/z for cryptotanshinone, 295.5/249.3 m/z for tanshinone II(A) and 285.2/154.0 m/z for Diazepam. The calibration curves in the range of 0.625-1 000 microg x L(-1) for protocatechuic acid and protocatechuic aldehyde, 1.25-1 000 microg x L(-1) for salvianolic acid A, 2.5-1 000 microg x L(-1) for salvianolic acid B, 0.15-1 000 microg x L(-1) for cryptotanshinone, 0.625-1 000 microg x L(-1) for tanshinone II(A) are with good linearityin rat plasma and brain. The analysis method is sensitive, simple, and suitable enough to be applied in the pharmacokinetic study of the 6 main components. Animal testing gives the lgBB of the drugs and further studies of the 6 components cross the blood-brain barrier can be carried out.
Animals ; Benzaldehydes ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Benzofurans ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; metabolism ; Brain ; metabolism ; Caffeic Acids ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Catechols ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Chromatography, Liquid ; methods ; Diterpenes, Abietane ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Hydroxybenzoates ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Injections, Intravenous ; Lactates ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Phenanthrenes ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Plant Preparations ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Rats ; Reproducibility of Results ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; methods

Accidents, Occupational ; Chronic Disease ; Hexanes ; poisoning ; Humans ; Shoes

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive

Objective To evaluate the renal cortical blood perfusion changes in rabbits with acute renal failure (ARF) with gray scale contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and to explore the relationship between these changes and the blood creatinine (SCr), as well as the blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Methods Rabbit ARF models were established with 50% glycerin injected into the rabbits' thighs. Gray scale contrast-enhanced ultrasound was performed on the day before injection (T_0) and 1, 4, 8, 12 days (T_1, T_4, T_8, T_(12)) after injection. The renal cortex perfusion time-intensity curve (TIC) was analyzed, including parameters like arrival time (AT), time to peak intensity (TTP), amplitude of peak intensity (A) and slope rate of TIC (β) of renal cortex. Meanwhile the SCr and BUN were measured, the correlation between SCr, BUN and parameters were analyzed. Results Compared with the value of T_0, the value of TTP, A, β after injection (T_1, T_4, T_8) were statistically different, respectively (P<0.05), but the differences among T_1, T_4 and T_8 were various. No linear correlation between above parameters and SCr, BUN was found. Conclusion The renal cortical blood perfusion changes can be early observed with gray scale contrast-enhanced ultrasound, but there is no linear correlation between the changes of parameters and SCr, BUN.

To evaluate in vitro release and transdermal behaviors of Huoxue Zhitong gel, modified Franz diffusion cell methods was applied to investigate in vitro transdermal absorption of Huoxue Zhitong gel and the content of paeonolan in receptor fluid composed of PEG400%-95% ethanol-water (l:3:6)were determined by HPLC. The results were processed and different equations were fitted. The release law were in accordance with Weibull equation and the fitting equation was In[-1/(1 - Q)] = -0.790 51nt - 1.7012 (r = 0.9809). In 8 hours, cumulative release of paeonol was 85. 18% and the release rate was 2.827 µg . cm-2 h-1. Transdermal actions were consistent with zero-level model fit and the fitting equation was Q(t) = 1.7579t + 0. 7213 (r = 0.9991). In 8 hours, cumulative transdermal rate and transmission rate of paeonol was 54. 85%, 1. 820 µg . cm-2 h-1. So the Huoxue Zhitong gel had a good release and transdermal properties.
Acetophenones ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Administration, Cutaneous ; Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Gels ; Mice ; Skin Absorption

OBJECTIVETo approach the central nervous mechanism of abdominal acupuncture by using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

METHODSTwelve old healthy volunteers were treated by standardized abdominal acupuncture with invigorating the kidney and nourishing marrow method and Zhongwan (CV 12), Xiawan (CV 10), Qihai (CV 6), Guanyuan (CV 4), Qixue (KI 13), Shangqu (KI 17) and Huaroumen (ST 24) were selected. They were examined by using resting-state fMRI before and after treatment of abdominal acupuncture and the brain functional connectivities were analyzed based on bilateral hippocampus chosen as seed points.

RESULTS(1) Before acupuncture, functional connectivities were found in the bilateral middle frontal gyrus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, bilateral middle temporal gyrus, bilateral thalamus, bilateral subiculum hippocampi, bilateral insula, the cupula and declivis of right cerebellum, left superior frontal gyrus, left head of caudate nucleus, left posterior cingulate gyrus and left inferior parietal lobule (all P < 0.05). (2) After acupuncture, functional connectivities were found in the bilateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, bilateral middle temporal gyrus, bilateral thalamus, bilateral insula, bilateral subiculum hippocampi, bilateral inferior parietal lobule, bilateral postcentral gyrus, bilateral cingulate gyrus, right head of caudate nucleus, right middle occipital gyrus and right posterior cingulate gyrus (all P < 0.05). (3) After acupuncture, there were intensity functional connectivities greater than before acupuncture in the bilateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral middle frontal gyrus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, bilateral superior parietal lobule, right inferior frontal gyrus, right anterior cingulate gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, right precuneus and right postcentral gyrus, while the intensity of functional connectivities of left middle temporal gyrus, right lingual gyrus, left cuneus/precuneus and left inferior parietal lobule were attenuated.

CONCLUSIONAbdominal acupuncture with invigorating the kidney and nourishing marrow method can improve the allomeric function of the brain cognition network of central nervous system.

Abdomen ; Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Aged ; Brain ; physiology ; Dentate Gyrus ; physiology ; Female ; Hippocampus ; physiology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged