Effect of electroacupuncture on glial fibrillary acidic protein and nerve growth factor in the hippocampus of rats with hyperlipidemia and middle cerebral artery thrombus.

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to reduce blood lipid level and improve cerebral ischemia in rats with hyperlipemia complicated by cerebral ischemia. However, there are few studies on the results and mechanism of the effect of EA in reducing blood lipid level or promoting neural repair after stroke in hyperlipidemic subjects. In this study, EA was applied to a rat model of hyperlipidemia and middle cerebral artery thrombosis and the condition of neurons and astrocytes after hippocampal injury was assessed.

[Effect of Electroacupuncture on Cerebro-cortex Caspase-3 Expression and Blood Lipid Levels in Hyperlipemia Rats with Cerebral Ischemia].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of "Fenglong" (ST 40), "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) plus manual acupuncture (MA) stimulation of "Shuigou" (GV 26) and "Baihui" (GV 20) on Caspase-3 protein expression in the cerebral cortex of rats with hyperlipemia and cerebral ischemia(HL-CI),so as to reveal its mechanisms underlying improvement of HL-CI.

Methods: Forty-five rats were randomly divided into normal control,sham operation,model,EA group I(EA+MA was given for 14 days, i.e.

Effects of electroacupuncture intervention on expression of cyclooxygenase 2 and microglia in spinal cord in rat model of neuropathic pain.

Objective: To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) treatment on the expression of cyclooxygenase (COX) 2 and microglia in spinal cord by using rat model of neuropathic pain, and to probe into the relationship between COX 2 and microglia.

Methods: The rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, including normal control group, model group, sham group, EA 1 group (distant acupoints + local acupoints), EA 2 group (local acupoints), and EA 3 group (distant acupoints). Thermal withdrawal latencies were evaluated at 1 day preoperatively and 3, 5 and 7 days postoperatively.

[Effect of Electroacupuncture at Distal and Proximal Acupoints on Expression of Spinal p 38 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase and Cyclic Adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate in Rats with Lumbago].

Objective: To observe the influence of Electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of different distal-proximal acupoints combination groups on pain reaction, spinal p 38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p 38 MAPK) expression and cyclic adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cAMP) content in experimental lumbago rats.

Methods: Seventy-eight male SD rats were randomized into normal, model, sham operation, EX-B 2-BL 25 (proximal acupoints, PA), BL 40-BL 60 (distal acupoints, DA) and DA+PA groups. The lumbago model was established by implanting the autologous nucleus pulposus to the site close to the left L 5 dorsal root ganglion and the surface of dura mate of spinal cord.

[Development of Researches on Mechanisms of Acupoint Combination for Some Disorders in Nerve-humoral-immunological Modulation].

Proper combination of acupoints is one of the core issues of acupuncturology, and is also one of the factors affecting clinical outcomes. In the present paper, the authors make a review on the development of researches on the underlying mechanisms of acupoint combination for some clinical disorders from nerve system, humoral factors and immunological regulation. The neural mechanism involves both the peripheral nervous system (mainly the segmental innervation) and central nervous system (spinal cord, brainstem, hypothalamus, cerebral cortex and cerebellum) , while the humoral factors chiefly contain neurotransmitters and hormones of the endocrine system.

Electro-acupuncture decreases postoperative pain and improves recovery in patients undergoing a supratentorial craniotomy.

We performed this study to examine the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) on postoperative pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and recovery in patients after a supratentorial tumor resection. Eighty-eight patients requiring a supratentorial tumor resection were anesthetized with sevoflurane and randomly allocated to a no treatment group (Group C) or an EA group (Group A). After anesthesia induction, the patients in Group A received EA at LI4 and SJ5, at BL63 and LR3 and at ST36 and GB40 on the same side as the craniotomy.

Regional homogeneity analysis on acupoint specificity with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: The mechanism of acupuncture analgesia in craniotomy has been widely studied. However, the theoretical basis for selection of acupoints has not been examined. In this study, we used the regional homogeneity method blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signals to determine changes in brain activity in response to transcutaneous electrical stimulation on acupoints and non-acupoints in resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

[Effects of electroacupuncture of different acupoint groups on sevoflurane anesthesia in patients undergoing resection of supratentorial tumors].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of different acupoint groups on the sevoflurane anesthetic requirement for resection of supratentorial tumors and the speed of post-operation recovery.

Methods: A total of 120 cases of supratentorial tumor resection patients were randomly and equally allocated into general anesthesia (GA) group, EA-proximal acupoints group (EA-PA group) and EA-distant acupoints group (EA-DA group). The supratentorial tumor patients were anesthetized with sevoflurane for surgery.

[Effect of electroacupuncture on proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells in the subependymal zone of the cerebral lateral ventricle in rats with hyperlipemia and cerebral ischemia].

Objective: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of vimentin and beta-Tubulin (Tju-1) in the dorsolateral extension and the lateral wall of the lateral ventricle (both of which belong to the subependymal ventricular zone, SVZ) on the ischemic side of the brain in rats with hyperlipemia (HL) plus cerebral ischemia (CI) so as to study its underlying mechanism in relievting HL, CI and combined HL and CI by regulating the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells.

Methods: Seventy two male SD rats were randomized into control, HL, HL + EA, CI, CI + manual acupuncture (MA), HL + CI, HL + CI + EA I and HL + CI + EA II groups, with 9 cases in each. HL model was established by feeding the animals with high fat forage for 6 weeks and CI model was duplicated by occlusion of the unilateral middle cerebral artery induced by regional application of FeCl3.

[Effect of electroacupuncture on Sevoflurane anesthesia in patients undergoing resection of supratentorial tumor].

Objective: To observe the supplementary analgesic effect of electroacupuncture and its influence on the maintenance of anesthesia and the speed of recovery of patients undergoing craniotomy.

Methods: Eighty cases of supratentorial tumor resection were randomly divided into group A and group S, 40 cases in each group. All the patients were anesthetized with 2% Sevoflurane.

[Effect of electroacupuncture on the proliferation of stem cells in the subependymal zone of the lateral ventricle of the brain in rats with hyperlipemia and cerebral ischemia].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) and acupuncture (A) on the proliferation of stem cells in the subependymal zone (SPZ) of the lateral ventricle and the frontal lobe cortex in hyperlipemia(HL) combined with cerebral ischemia (CI) rats.

Methods: A total of 72 male SD rats were randomized into control, HL, HL+EA, CI, CI+A, HL+CI, HL+CI+EA I and HL+CI+EA II groups (n=9 /group). HL model was established by feeding the animals with high fat forage for 6 weeks and CI model was established by FeCl3-induced occlusion of the unilateral middle cerebral artery.

[Effect of electroacupuncture on the expression of hippocampal calbindin-D 28 K in hyperlipemia rats with concurrent cerebral ischemia].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on Calbindin D28 K(CB) expression and apoptosis in hippocampus in hyperlipemia rats with concomitant cerebral ischemia (CI).

Methods: Forty male SD rats were randomized into control, hyperlipemia+ CI (model), acupuncture I, and acupuncture II groups, with 10 cases in each. Hyperlipemia model was established by feeding the animals with high fat forage for 6 weeks and CI model established by occlusion of the unilateral middle cerebral artery.

[Advances of studies on the underlying mechanism of acupuncture efficacies by using functional magnetic resonance imaging].

In the present paper the authors review recent progress in the study on the underlying mechanism of acupuncture effects by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) from (1) fMRI imaging technology, (2) the meridian-collateral system of Chinese medicine, (3) the factors affecting the therapeutic effect of acupuncture, (4) the mechanism underlying the efficacy of acupuncture treatment, (5) the experimental design methods for studying acupuncture by using fMRI, and (6) the methods for analyzing fMRI data. Research results show that fMRI technology is a new and useful approach for studying the underlying mechanism of acupuncture effect.

[Effect of electroacupuncture on caspase-9 expression in hippocampus and neuroethology in hyperlipemia rats with concurrent cerebral ischemia].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on hippocampal apoptosis protein caspase-9 expression and neuroethology in hyperlipemia plus cerebral ischemia (HL-CI) rats.

Methods: Seventy male SD rats were randomized into control, hyperlipemia (HL), CI, HL-CI, CI + EA, HL-CI + EA I , and HL-CI + EA II groups, with 10 cases in each. HL model was established by feeding the animals with high fat forage for 6 weeks and CI model was established by occlusion of the unilateral middle cerebral artery.

[Effect of acupuncture on serum lipid and cerebral neurogrowth factor levels in hyperlipemia rats with concurrent cerebral ischemia].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on serum lipid and cerebral neurogrowth factor (NGF) in rats with hyperlipemia and cerebral ischemia (CI).

Methods: A total of 36 SD rats were evenly randomized into control, model, EA-I and EA-II groups with 9 cases in each group. Hyperlipemia plus CI model was established by feeding the rats with high-fat foodstuff (6 weeks) and FeCI3-evoked middle-cerebral-artery (MCA) occlusion method.