[Effects of Gualou Xiebai Banxia decoction on blood lipid content, oxidative stress and ox-LDL/Lox-1 pathway in ApoE-/- mice].

To observe the functions of Gualou Xiebai Banxia decoction（GXBD） on regulating lipid metabolism, anti-oxidation, and interposing ox-LDL/Lox-1 pathway, and to explore its anti-atherosclerosis (AS) mechanisms. AS models were established by using 42 Apo-E-/- male mice with high fat diet. AS model mice were randomly divided into the model group, simvastatin group, and GXBD high and low dose groups.

Effects on the tumor specific growth factor and tumor necrosis factor α in rats' precancerous lesion of primary hepatocellular carcinoma by direct moxibustion at Ganshu (BL 18) acupoint.

Objective: To investigate the effect of direct moxibustion at Ganshu (BL18) on the serum concentrations of tumor specific growth factor (TSGF) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in a rat model with precancerous lesion of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), so as to explore the mechanism of moxibustion underlying improvement of HCC.

Methods: Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group (n=10), model group (n=20), prevention group 1 (n=15) and prevention group 2 (n=15). The normal rats were injected with physiological saline as blank control.

[Our viewpoints on Deqi in the later ages after birth of classical works "The Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic" and "Canon of Difficult Medical Problems"].

In our previous paper, we analyzed "Deqi" in book Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic) and Nanjing (Canon of Difficult Medical Problems) from "Zhishen"(Treating mentality) and Tiaoqi (Regulating qi). In the present paper, the authors discuss the connotations of "Deqi" and related events in the later ages of the abovementioned two classic books to the later stage of the Qing Dynasty when involves about 20 classical works as Zhenjiu Dacheng ( The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion), Zhenjing Zhinan (Guide to the classics of Acupuncture), Zhenjiu Daquan (A Complete Works of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) etc. from 1) close association between "Deqi" and patients' mental activity; 2) how to wait for arrival of qi if the needling does not induce "Deqi" for the time being; 3) how to identify "qi-arrival" and then, performing suitable manipulations; 4) Deqi and shallow- or deep-needling; 5) putting more emphasis on patients' feeling and reactions, rather than the practitioners perception beneath the needle which is described in book Huangdi Neijing; and 6) not withdrawing the acupuncture needles if qi does not arrive.

[Design and establishment of modern literature database about acupuncture Deqi].

A search on acupuncture Deqi was conducted using four Chinese-language biomedical databases (CNKI, Wan-Fang, VIP and CBM) and PubMed database and using keywords "Deqi" or "needle sensation" "needling feeling" "needle feel" "obtaining qi", etc. Then, a "Modern Literature Database for Acupuncture Deqi" was established by employing Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition, introducing the contents, data types, information structure and logic constraint of the system table fields. From this Database, detailed inquiries about general information of clinical trials, acupuncturists' experience, ancient medical works, comprehensive literature, etc.

[Remarks on the relationship between deqi and effect of acupuncture].

Acupuncturists have always paid high attention to deqi (needling sensation) in clinical. However, relationship between deqi and curative effect has not been elucidated yet. In order to have a further understanding on effect of deqi on clinical effect, through study on literature associated with deqi since the establishment of People's Republic of China in 1949, it is held that various factors can influence therapeutic effect of acupuncture treatment, including whether needling sensation appears or not, the speed of deqi, the intensity of deqi, different types of sensations as well as propagated sensation along meridians (PSM).

An exploratory survey of deqi sensation from the views and experiences of chinese patients and acupuncturists.

Deqi sensation is believed to be important in clinical efficacy according to TCM theory. The measuring method of Deqi sensation has significant implications for the result of research trials. This study makes an investigation on acupuncture-experienced patients and expert acupuncturists in China and aims to find out the patient's needling sensations and acupuncturist's sensations which can be acceptable as descriptors of Deqi sensation, so as to provide foundation for more systematic and sensitive quantitative evaluation method of Deqi sensation.

[Progress of researches on specificity of acupoints in China in recent 10 years].

After searching for literature about the specificity of acupoints from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database (in Chinese) and MEDLINE (in English), published by Chinese scholars from June 2003 to June 2012, the authors made a systemic analysis on the retrieved papers. It was found that most Chinese scholars took a positive viewpoint about the specificity of acupoints in morphological structure, biophysical characters, pathological reactions, acupuncture stimulation-induced responses in different brain regions and therapeutic effects. However, the research methods and comprehensive analysis of abundant research results need being improved, and the conclusion should be validated extensively.

[Doctor HUANG Shi-ping's acupuncture with golden needles].

Taking Doctor HUANG Shi-ping as the representative, the school of Huang's golden needle is based on Chinese martial art. Golden needles are adopted as main tool. Attaching great importance on the combination of acupuncture and moxibustioin, it is also characterized with penetrating needling with long needles.

[Progress on research of specificity of acupoint effects during "the 11th five-year"].

With retrieval in CNKI and MEDLINE data base, the articles in Chinese and English that were written by Chinese authors, which were about the specificity of acupoint effects during "the Eleventh Five-Year (2006-2010)", are included. Researchers have studied about the specificity of acupoint effects by cerebral function imaging technique and it turns out that from the perspective of central mechanism, there are differences among aupoint stimulatory effect. The curative effect of acupoints is significantly better than that of nonacupoints, different acupoints have different curative effects, the effect of disease-related acupoints is better than that of unrelated acupoints, those above have intitally proved the existence of specificity of acupoint effects.

[Discussion on the influence of factors related organic on Deqi in acupuncture treatment].

Objective: To discuss the influence of factors related organic on deqi in acupuncture treatment and provide scientific evidence for further research on the influencing factors of deqi sensation.

Methods: China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, VIP-Chinese scientific and technological journal database, Chinese biological medical (CBM) database and PubMed database were retrieved. There were 30 articles about the organic influencing factors of deqi and they were analyzed.

[Review of studies on Deqi of acupuncture mainly in foreign countries].

Unlabelled: Deqi (needle sensation), is closely related to clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture in the treatment of different clinical conditions. In the present paper, the authors summarized various components or concepts of Deqi mainly in the foreign studies collected from Pubmed database. At present, foreign researches about Deqi mainly include 1) the subjects' subjective qualitative and quantitative descriptions about Deqi, 2) correlation between acupuncture stimulation induced Deqi and clinical therapeutic effects, and 3) responses of different brain regions or the connectivity of brain network shown by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during Deqi by needling different acupoints.

[Influence of electroacupuncture stimulation of delivery-facilitating acupoints with different stimulating parameters on serum endocrine hormones of late-stage pregnant rats].

Objective: To observe the influence of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of "Hegu" (LI 4) and "Sanyinjiao"(SP 6; a classical delivery-facilitating acupoint recipe) at different parameters on endocrine hormone levels of late-stage pregnant rats, so as to find the better stimulation parameters for delivery facilitation.

Methods: Ninety-six female Wistar rats were randomly divided into eight groups: normal control (normal), pregnancy (model), EA-15 Hz, EA-30 Hz, EA-50 Hz, EA-2 Hz/ 15 Hz, EA-2 Hz/30 Hz and EA-2 Hz/50 Hz, with 12 rats in each group except EA-30 Hz group (n = 10). EA stimulation (0.

[Progression of the study on the acupoints from 2006 to 2010 overseas].

With retrieval of MEDLINE database (from Jan 2006 to Dec 2010) and supplementary search on other important literatures, 29 overseas articles that were in accord with inclusive criteria were included. The results showed that the overseas scholars issued the international standard on human acupoint locations and proposed the localization system of animal acupoint model; discovered the new acupoint structure, characteristic of acupoint microcirculation, the states of the diseases could be specifically reflected through acupoint temperature, electric resistance, pressure and pain threshold, and the specific brainstem reaction could be induced by electroacupuncture at acupoints; verified initially the effect on nausea and vomiting with the related acupuncture methods at acupoints and explained the mechanisms on the local analgesia of acupuncture at acupoints; suggested that a further study should be expected on the low electric resistance property of acupoints and the effect specificity in the treatment of disease. Additionally, they were proposed that the domestic study should focus on the symptom treatment, correct application of logic reasoning, the secondary literature study and international exchange and cooperation.

[Progress on the research of acupuncture's role in anti-early pregnancy in recent 9 years].

Through CNKI retrieval, 40 articles were selected from Medical Journals published between January 2003 and December 2011, and the study designs, intervention methods and conclusions of the articles were analyzed. It turned out that in the area of clinical research, the main usage of acupuncture was assist treatment of artificial abortion and drug-induced abortion: in artificial abortion, acupuncture can play a role in analgesia, artificial abortion syndrome relieving, and cervix dilating, while in the drug induced abortion, acupuncture can play a role in improving completed abortion rate, accelerating foetal sac release, decreasing side effects and regulating postoperative bleeding. In mechanism research, the effect of acupuncture on uterine tissue was revealed in terms of neuroendocrine.