Influence of electroacupuncture therapy of tonifying the kidney and regulating governor vessel on Aβ related degradation enzymes in the hippocampus of a rat model of Alzheimer's disease induced by Aβ_(1-42)

Objective： To explore influence of electroacupuncture（EA） therapy of tonifying the kidney and regulating governor vessel on amyloid beta（Aβ） related degradation enzymes in the hippocampus of a rat model of Alzheimer＇s disease（AD） induced by Aβ（1-42）.Methods： Forty Wistar male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups： a normal group, a sham operation group, a model group and an EA group, 10 rats in each one. The rats in normal group were normally fed. The rats in sham operation group were bilaterally injected in the hippocampus with 5 μL of saline and they were normally fed after the injection. The rats in the model group and the EA group were bilaterally injected in the hippocampus with 5 μL of Aβ（1-42） on each side. Rats in the EA group received EA of 5 Hz continuous wave at the ＂Bǎihuì（百会 GV20）＂ and bilateral ＂Shènshū（肾俞 BL23）＂ for a duration of 15 min per time every day and continuously for 15 days. After 15 days, the hippocampal expression levels of insulin degrading enzyme（IDE）, lipoprotein（LPL）, transthyretin（TTR）, apolipoprotein E（APoE）,a2 macroglobulin（a2 M） and Aβ（1-42） of the 4 groups were tested by Western blot.Results： Compared with the sham operation group, the expression levels of IDE, LPL, TTR, APoE and a2 M in the hippocampus were significantly lower（P〈 0.05, P〈 0.01） and the expression of Aβ（1-42） was significantly higher（P〈 0.01） in the model group. Compared with the model group, the expression levels of IDE, LPL, TTR,APoE and a2 M in the hippocampus of these rats were significantly lower（P〈 0.05,P〈 0.01）, the expression of Aβ（1-42） was significantly higher（P〈 0.01） in the EA group.Conclusion： EA therapy of tonifying the kidney and regulating governor vessel can enhance the expression of IDE, LPL, TTR, APoE, and a2 M in the hippocampus of AD rats injected by Aβ（1-42）, and may consequently promote the degradation of aβ（1-42） to help improve the pathological manifestations of AD and therefore delay its progression.

Mechanism of Erhuang capsule for treatment of multiple sclerosis

Erhuang capsule, a typical formula based on traditional Chinese medicine theory, is widely used to ameliorate multiple sclerosis, inflammation and side effects of glucocortJcoid treatment. Oligodendrocyte precursor cells are neural stem cells that are important for myelin repair and regeneration. In the present study, Erhuang capsule effectively improved clinical symptoms and neurological function scores, reduced mortality and promoted recovery of neurological functions of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. The mechanism of action involved significant increases in oligodendrocyte precursor cell proliferation in specific regions of the brain and spinal cord, increased oligodendrocyte lineage gene 2 expression and enhanced oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation.

Effects of Bushenyiqihexue Formula on the Endometrial Gland Apoptosis in Mice with Blastocyst Implantation Dysfunction

Objective: To observe the effects of Bushenyiqihexue Formula (补肾益气和血方 Formula for Tonifying the Kidney, Replenishing qi and Harmonizing Blood, FTKRQHB) on the endometrial gland apoptosis in the mice with blastocyst implantation dysfunction. Methods: The mice with the first-day pregnancy were divided into the control, model and treatment groups, with 30 in each group, and blastocyst implantation dysfunction was induced by subcutaneous injection of mifepristone in the mice of the model and treatment groups. The pregnancy rate and implantation number of blastocysts were measured and the expressions of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Bax, Bcl-2, and activated caspase-3 were detected in all the three groups. Results: The model group had significantly depressed pregnancy rate, implantation number of blastocysts and apoptosis index, and elevated proliferation index of endometrial gland as compared with the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Administration of FTKRQHB (the treatment group) resulted in significant increases in pregnancy rate, implantation number of blastocysts and apoptosis index of the endometrial gland, and a significant decrease in the proliferation index of the endometrial gland as compared with the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The differences in the four indexes between the treatment group and control group were not significant statistically. The Bax and activated caspase-3 expressions in endometrial gland in the model group became significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.01), whereas those in the treatment group were significant higher than that of the model group (P<0.01). However, the Bax and activated caspase-3 expressions in endometrial gland were similar in both treatment and control groups. Conclusion: Promoting the increases in Bax and activated caspase-3 expressions in the endometrial gland and bringing into balance between apoptosis and proliferation of the glandular cells at the implantation window phase by FTKRQHB may contribute to the effects of promoting the establishment of endometrial receptivity and improving blastocyst implantation dysfunction.

Effect of Yishen Huayu Fang on kidney tissue E-cadherin expression in unilateral ureter ligation in rats

OBJECTIVE:To observe E-calcium sticky protein(E-cadherin) expression in kidney tissues in a rat model of unilateral ureter ligation and the effect of Yishen Huayu Fang(formula of tonifying the kidney and dissolving accumulated blood stasis) on the expression.METHODS:A total of 150 clean grade male rats were randomly divided into a control group,model group,low-dose Yishen Huayu Fang group(low-dose group),high-dose Yishen Huayu Fang group(high-dose group),and Lotensin group.A renal fibrosis model was established with unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO).Pathological changes of rat renal tissue were observed with light microscopy on days 3,7,14,21,and 28 after UUO.Changes in kidney tissue E-cadherin expression were observed with immunohistochemistry.RESULTS:Three days after modeling,kidney edema appeared followed by gradual inflammatory cell infiltration,and part of the small tubules disappeared while the renal cortex thinned.Meanwhile,the E-cadherin expression level dropped,which was negatively correlated with the obstruction time.After intervention,E-cadherin expression was increased in all treatment groups(P<0.01 or P<0.05),while there were no significant differences between the high-dose and Lotensin groups.CONCLUSION:Yishen Huayu Fang delays the renal fibrosis process by promoting E-cadherin expression in renal tissues and reducing extracellular matrix deposition.

The Effect of integrated Traditional Chineseand Western Medicine on the Recovery of Patients with Early Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage

The author compared in this study the effects of the treatment with integrated traditional andwestern medicine with that of routine western medicine alone on the recovery of patients with acute hyperten-sive cerebral hemorrhage. The results of the treatments showed that integrated traditional Chinese and west-ern medicine had better effect on speeding up the absorption of intracranial hematoma, elimination of en-cephaledema and restoration of neural functions than routine western medicine. There is significant differencebetween the results of the two kinds of treatment (P< 0. 05￣0. 01 ) , which suggested that treating patientsearly with traditional Chinese medicine greatly helps the recovery of patients with cerebral hemorrhage.