Acupuncture for insomnia after ischemic stroke: an assessor-participant blinded, randomized controlled trial.

Background: To date, there has been little focus on research into acupuncture for insomnia after ischemic stroke. Insomnia is one of the most common sequelae after ischemic stroke, and it is the most unrecognized modifiable risk factor.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for insomnia after ischemic stroke.

Neuronal Specificity of Acupuncture in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients: A Functional MRI Study.

Although acupuncture is considered to be effective and safe for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the mechanism underlying its therapeutic effect is still unknown. Most studies clarifying the neuronal pathway produced by acupuncture were still applied to healthy subjects with limited single acupuncture point stimulation, which was inconsistency with clinical practice. Thus, in our present study, we investigate the differences between brain activity changes in AD and MCI patients caused by multi-acupuncture point Siguan (four gates), in order to provide visualized evidence for neuronal specificity of clinical acupuncture.

Modified reversed superficial peroneal artery flap in the reconstruction of ankle and foot defects following severe burns or trauma.

Objective: Challenges persist in the reconstruction of the ankle and the foot with exposed tendons, joints, and bones as a result of severe burns and trauma. In flap elevation involving the sensitive superficial nerve, the local nerve was always sacrificed to obtain an anesthetic donor site; however, such a procedure introduced the possibility of painful neuromas. In this study, we present a desired clinical application of a modified reversed superficial peroneal artery flap, in which the superficial peroneal nerve is preserved.

An FMRI study of neuronal specificity in acupuncture: the multiacupoint siguan and its sham point.

Clarifying the intrinsic mechanisms of acupuncture's clinical effects has recently been gaining popularity. Here, we choose the Siguan acupoint (a combination of bilateral LI4 and Liv3) and its sham point to evaluate multiacupoint specificity. Thirty-one healthy volunteers were randomly divided into real acupoint (21 subjects) and sham acupoint (10 subjects) groups.

Combined effects of curcumin and triptolide on an ovarian cancer cell line.

Background: As natural medicines in Asia, curcumin and triptolide extracted from different drug plants have proven to possess anticancer potential and widely used for anti-cancer research. The present study attempted to clarify that curcumin and triptolide synergistically suppress ovarian cancer cell growth in vitro.

Methods: To test synergic effects, cell viability and apoptosis were analyzed after curcumin and triptolide combination treatment on ovarian cancer cell lines.

FMRI evidence of acupoints specificity in two adjacent acupoints.

Objectives. Acupoint specificity is the foundation of acupuncture treatment. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the acupoint specificity exists in two adjacent acupoints.

The human brain response to acupuncture on same-meridian acupoints: evidence from an fMRI study.

Objectives: Stimulation of acupuncture points (acupoints) located on meridians has been proven to activate specific areas of the human brain, as evidenced by functional imaging studies. To date, the specificity of acupoints located on different meridians has been investigated with functional magnetic resonance image (fMRI). The present fMRI study explored the effects of stimulating 4 acupoints on 2 different meridians for the purpose of researching the characteristic response of acupoints on the same meridian.

R-apomorphine protects against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced nigrostriatal damage in rat.

Objective The aim of the present study was not only to assess the retrograde degenerative changes in the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) after injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the striatum, but also to use this 6-OHDA model of Parkinson's disease to explore the possible neuroprotective effect of R-apomorphine (R-APO). Methods The partial lesion was obtained by intrastriatal administration of 6-OHDA. R-APO administration (10 mg/kg, s.

Pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease: oxidative stress, environmental impact factors and inflammatory processes.

Current hypothesis of neuronal degeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD) have been proposed, including formation of free radicals and oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, excitotoxicity, trophic factor deficiency, inflammatory processes, genetic factors, environmental impact factors, toxic action of nitric oxide, apoptosis, and so on. This review mainly discussed oxidative stress, environmental impact factors, and inflammatory processes in PD.

Improved temporal clustering analysis method applied to whole-brain data in acupuncture fMRI study.

Temporal clustering analysis (TCA) has been proposed as a method for detecting the brain responses of a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) time series when the time and location of activation are completely unknown. But TCA is not suitable for treating the time series of the whole brain due to the existence of many inactive pixels. In theory, active pixels are located only in gray matter (GM).

An improved temporal clustering analysis method applied to whole-brain data in fMRI study.

Temporal clustering analysis (TCA) has been proposed as a method to detect the brain responses of an fMRI time series when the time and location of the activation are completely unknown. But TCA is still incompetent in dealing with the time series of the whole brain due to the existence of many inactive pixels. If only active pixels are considered, the sensitivity of TCA will be improved greatly and it could be applied to the whole brain.

[Effects and mechanism of total saponins of Psammosilene tunicoids against rheumatoid arthritis].

Objective: To observe the antiarthritic effects and the possible mechanism of total saponins of Psammruosilene tunicoids (TSPT) against rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Method: After establishing AA rat model, the TSPT'S antiarthritic effects and mechanism against RA were studied through observing the changes of ankle swelling, arthritis index and levels of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha after medication.

Result: TSPT could effectively inhibits articular swelling, decrease arthritis index and regulate down the content of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha in the inflammatory tissue soak of AA rats.

[Method for studying traditional Chinese compound prescription].

Treatment with traditional Chinese medicinal composite is one of the most important characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Studying material base of TCM composite and its mechanism is a key to modernizing the industry of Chinese medicinal herbs. The research for TCM composite can be carried out from many different angles, including multiple components, multiple actions, multiple levels and multiple targets.