Smithnymann0229

813, P = 0.005). mABP of acupuncture group was the marked improvement in the reduction of blood pressure to that of medication group in controlling blood pressure. (Z = －2.416, P = 0.016). CONCLUSION These results indicate that the effectiveness of acupuncture with the acupuncture group is superior to the only medication group in the control of hypertension.OBJECTIVE To observe the effect of herb-partitioned moxibustion (HPM) for primary dysmenorrhea. METHODS Six hundred and forty patients were randomized assigned (1∶1) to HPM group and control group. Duration of treatment was 3 months with 3 month follow-up. The primary outcome was pain relief measured by visual analogue scale (VAS). The second outcomes were Cox Menstrual Symptom Scale (CMSS), menstrual pain duration and frequency of analgesics usage. The exploratory outcome included quality of life, RESULTS After the 3-month treatment and follow-ups, the pain intensity measured by VAS was significantly reduced in both groups compared with baseline (P less then 0.05), and it was significantly decreased in HPM group than that of control group (P less then 0.001). The higher proportion of participants in the HPM group had a decrease of at least 50% in VAS at the end of treatment, as compared with the control group (P less then 0.001). At the 3rd and 6th month, the menstrual pain duration, CMSS score and frequency of analgesics usage in HPM group were significantly lower than those of control group (P less then 0.05). After 3 month treatment and follow-ups,the scores of physical, psychological, social and environmental domains were significantly increased than baseline in both groups (P less then 0.05), and the sores of physical, psychological and environmental domains were significantly higher in HPM group than those of control group (P less then 0.05) . CONCLUSION Herb-partitioned moxibustion reduced menstrual pain and improved quality of life, these were sustained for up to 3 months after treatment. Further research is needed to understand long term effect and the mechanism of the intervention.OBJECTIVE To evaluate the treatment effect of acupotomy (Apo) in a rabbit model of knee osteoarthritis (KOA), compare the results of Apo versus electroacupuncture (E-Apu) on ethology, morphology, and structure of the articular cartilage surface in a rabbit model of KOA, and analyze the differences in the treatment effects of Apo versus E-Apu. METHODS Twenty-eight male New Zealand white rabbits were randomized into four groups normal control, blank model, Apo, and E-Apu (n = 7 in each group). Except for the normal control group, the left hindlegs of all rabbits were fixed in an extended position for 5 weeks to establish the KOA model. The passive range of motion (PROM) and Lequesne index were measured before and after the establishment of the KOA model to assess the ethology in all groups. Safranin O-fast green staining and the Mankin score were used to assess the morphological cartilaginous changes to compare the effect of Apo versus E-Apu on the degeneration of articular cartilage, and to identify which therapy was superior in treating KOA. RESULTS Compared with before the establishment of the KOA model, the Lequesne index of the KOA model rabbits was significantly increased (P 0.05). Furthermore, compared with the E-Apu group, the Apo group had a significantly lower Lequesne index (P less then 0.05), and a significantly greater PROM (P less then 0.05). CONCLUSION In a rabbit model of KOA, both Apo and E-Apu reduce disorders of ethology and morphology, and improve the condition of the articular cartilage. The results suggest that Apo is more effective than E-Apu in improving the PROM and alleviating symptoms resulting from cartilage damage in a rabbit model of KOA.OBJECTIVE To investigate the influence of electroacupuncture (EA) on experimentally induced endolymphatic hydrops (EH) in guinea pigs, and elucidate the association between the dehydrating effect of EA and changes in stria vascularis ultrastructure and expression of vasopressin type 2 receptor (V2R), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), and aquaporin 2 (AQP2) in the endolymphatic sac (ES). METHODS The EH model was established by intraperitoneal injection of arginine vasopressin (AVP). As a treatment, EA was delivered to Baihui (GV 20) and Tinggong (SI 19) acupoints, once daily for 10 consecutive days. For histomorphological studies, degree of cochlear hydrops was evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining, and the ratio of scala media (SM) area to SM + scala vestibuli area was calculated. In mechanical studies, ultrastructural changes in stria vascularis tissue were examined by transmission electron microscopy. In addition, cAMP levels and mRNA expression levels of V2R and AQP2 in the ES were compared among groups. RESULTS EA treatment significantly reduced cochlear hydrops compared with hydropic guinea pigs (P = 0.015). Furthermore, EA attenuated ultrastructural changes in the stria vascularis tissue following EH, significantly upregulated the expression of V2R (P = 0.016), and attenuated AVP-induced upregulation of both cAMP (P = 0.038) and AQP2 expression (P = 0.017) in the ES. CONCLUSION Collectively, the results of the present study suggest that the dehydrating effect of EA is associated with improvement of stria vascularis ultrastructure and V2R-cAMP-AQP2 signaling pathway regulation in the ES.OBJECTIVE To study the meridian tropism (MT) for three Chinese medicines Tinglizi (Semen Lepidii Apetali, TLZ), Yiyiren (Semen Coicis, YYR), Cheqianzi (Semen Plantaginis, CQZ) in vivo experiments. METHODS The extracts of TLZ, YYR, CQZ were orally administered to rats at a dose 234, 700 and 350 mg/kg, respectively. The urinary excretion rate, loss in weight of rats and the electrolyte levels in the plasma were measured, in order to assess the mechanisms of the three traditional Chinese diuretic medicines. RESULTS TLZ, YYR and CQZ exhibited obvious diuretic effect and reduced the weight of saline-loaded animals. DNA Repair inhibitor All the three diuretic medicines differentially reduced various serum, urinary, lung, stomach, kidney and hormonal markers, thus indicating the different mechanisms of action and a close resemblance with their different meridian as per the MT theory. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that the three Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) medicines-TLZ, YYR and CQZ- possess different Shamisen meridian. This can support the regimen of treating the same disease with different therapies in TCM theory.OBJECTIVE To assess the toxicity of moxa smoke in rats. METHODS Forty-eight female Wister rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 12/group) to simulate moxa smoke exposure in Chinese medicine clinics (CMCs) the control group, and three moxa-smoke exposed groups of PM10 mass concentrations 3-5, 7-9 and 27-30 mg/m3 , respectively. These concentrations were 1 × , 2-3 × , and 7-9 × fold the concentrations found in CMCs. Exposures continued for 12 weeks (200 min/d, 5 d/week). RESULTS No deaths were noted. After the exposure, the body weights, ratios of organ weight to body weight, urinary parameters, hematological parameters, clinical chemistry parameters and microscopic examinations revealed no obvious toxicity. CONCLUSION Moxa smoke did not induce toxic effects in female rats in the study. These findings provide new evidence to the toxicity of moxa smoke.OBJECTIVE To explore the molecular mechanism underpinning the action by investigating its effect on glycogen content and AKT (also known as protein kinase B)/glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK- 3β) pathway in the liver of rats with type 2 diabetic induced by high-fat diet. METHODS The rat model of type 2 diabetes was induced by high-fat diet and multiple low-dose streptozotocin injection. Diabetic rats were divided into five groups the model control group, the Metformin group, spleen-kidney supplementing formula groups of low, medium and high doses. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels were measured before treatment and every two weeks during treatment. After the treatment, oral glucose tolerance test was performed, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and C-peptide were measured to assess the formula's effect on glucose metabolism and insulin resistance. The protein expression levels of AKT, GSK-3β and their phosphorylated forms in the liver were also measured to study the formula's role in insulin signaling pathway. RESULTS Spleen-kidney supplementing formula significantly relieved the symptoms of polydipsia, polyuria and weight loss in type 2 diabetic rats, reduced FBG and HbA1c levels, increased glycogen content, and improved insulin sensitivity. The anti-diabetic effects of spleen-kidney supplementing formula are dose dependent. It also increased the total AKT protein level and the GSK-3β phosphorylation in the liver of type 2 diabetic rats. CONCLUSION Spleen-kidney supplementing formula has hypoglycemic effect and relieves insulin resistance by enhancing AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway in the liver of type 2 diabetic rats.OBJECTIVE To determine the therapeutic effect and potential mechanism of Huatan Tongluo decoction on rats with collagen-induced arthritis. METHODS Forty specific pathogen-free Wistar rats were selected, and 10 were randomly selected as the control (group 1). The remaining rats were injected intradermally with emulsified type II bovine collagen at the tail base and back, followed by a booster 7 d post first immunization. After establishing collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 10). The rats were treated orally for 30 d as follows group 1, saline; group 2, model (saline); group 3, tripterygium polyglycoside (TP; 7.81 mg/kg, positive control); group 4, Huatan Tongluo decoction (HTTL; 7.5 g/kg). Body weight, ankle swelling and arthritis index were measured over the course of the study. The rats were sacrificed 30 d after treatment. Morphological changes in the synovium were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Pannus formation and synovial thickness in the left ankle were observed by color Doppler ultrasoundVascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGFR2 protein levels were measured by immunohistochemistry. VEGF/VEGFR2 mRNA levels were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Compared with the model group, a significantly lower arthritis index was observed in the positive control group (P less then 0.05) and HTTL group (P less then 0.01), after treatment. Both positive control and HTTL reduced intra-articular pannus formation and synovial thickening. Furthermore, VEGF mRNA, and VEGFR2 protein and mRNA levels were significantly downregulated (P less then 0.05) in the treatment groups. CONCLUSION Inhibition of the expression of VEGF and VEGFR2 in synovial tissues and the formation of pannus and synovial hyperplasia may be part of the mechanism of HTTL for relieving the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in CIA rats.OBJECTIVE To investigate the efficacy of Zhonglun'a-decoction-containing serum (ZHONGL-CS) on the in vitro apoptosis of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) from rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) by investigating the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway. METHODS A CIA rat model was established using bovine type Ⅱ collagen. FLS were isolated, cultured and identified. A cell counting kit-8 was used to detect cell activity. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was calculated. Experimental subjects were divided into control, CIA, ZHONGL-CS, JAK2 inhibitor AG490, and ZHONGLCS with AG490 groups. The in vitro cell cycle and apoptosis rate were detected in FLS by flow cytometry. Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), caspase-3, cyclin D1, phosphorylated JAK2, STAT1, and STAT3 protein expressions in FLS were examined by Western blotting. JAK2, STAT1 and STAT3 mRNA levels were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.