Effect of lit-moxa stimulation of Guanyuan(CV 4) acupoint on levels of lactic acid and super-oxide dismutase in skeletal muscle of rats

OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of lit-moxa stimulating acupoint Guanyuan(CV 4) on lactic acid and super-oxide dismutase(SOD) in skeletal muscle after exercise exhaustion.METHODS:Twenty-eight adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group,exhausted control group,exercise group and moxibustion group using exercise training and mild heating with lit-moxa stick as treatment methods.The exhausted control group,moxibustion group and exercise group received an exhaustive swimming after 20 days of intervention.Swimming exhausted times were recorded.Lactic acid and SOD concentration in soleus muscle were detected and compared between every two groups.RESULTS:The swimming exhausted times of the moxibustion group and the exercise group were significantly increased compare to the exhausted control group(P < 0.05).The lactic acid of the exhausted control group was significantly increased comparing with the normal control group(P <0.05),and the lactic acid of the moxibustion group and the exercise group were significantly lower than that of the exhausted control group(P < 0.05).The SOD level of the exhausted control group was significantly decreased comparing with the normal control group(P < 0.05),and the SOD level of the moxibustion group and the exercise group were significantly higher than that of the exhausted control group(both,P < 0.05).There was no statistical difference between the moxibustion group and the exercise group.CONCLUSION:With lit moxa stick,heat stimulating acupoint of Guanyuan(CV 4) decreased the levels of lactic acid and SOD in rat's skeletal muscle.

Protein and RNA expression of acid-sensing ion channels 2 and 3 in myocardial ischemia rats induced by isoproterenol

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the impact of electro-acupuncture at the Neiguan(PC 6) acupoint on protein and RNA expression of acid-sensing ion channel 2(ASIC2) and ASIC3 in myocardial ischemia rats.METHODS:Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were used,weighing(230 ± 50) g.The rats were randomized into a normal group A,model group B,Neiguan(PC 6) group C,Lieque(LU 7) group D,and A-shi points group E.There were 10 rats in each group.Rats were continuously administered 85 mg/kg intravenous isoproterenol daily to establish the model.Successfully modeled rats in groups C,D,and E were given electro-acupuncture treatment.Each group of rats was sacrificed with chloral hydrate(1 mL/100 g) intraperitoneal injection.The left ventricular myocardium was extracted and placed at- 70 ℃ until use.Western blot analysis and real-time PCR were performed to assay protein and RNA expressions of ASIC2 and ASIC3,respectively.Fold changes in RNA expression were quantified with the 2~^(-△△Ct) method.Blood samples were drawn from the aorta abdominalis and tested for creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS:Myocardial ischemia rats given electro-acupuncture at the Neiguan(PC 6) acupoint had significantly lower protein and RNA expression of ASIC2 and ASIC3,and CK-MB and LDH levels,compared with model rats(P < 0.01).CONCLUSION:Electro-acupuncture at the Neiguan(PC 6) acupoint can not only decrease the protein and RNA expression of ASIC2 and ASIC3,but also inhibit the opening of ASICs and reduce the cardiomyocyte damage in myocardial ischemia rats.

Determining short chain fatty acids in sewage sludge hydrolysate: A comparison of three analytical methods and investigation of sample storage effects

In anaerobic digestion, the production of short-chain fatty acids （SCFAs） can be beneficial or harmful to the overall process, depending on the concentration of accumulated acids. Therefore, the accurate determination of the SCFA concentration in both fresh and stored sludge hydrolysates is important. To select a suitable method for monitoring SCFAs during the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge, the accuracy of three available analytical methods, including 5 pH point acid titration （TITRA5）, gas chromatography （GC）, and spectrophotometry, were compared in the present study. The results revealed that TITRA5 and GC displayed better agreement in the achieved measurements and higher precision and accuracy than the spectrophotometric assay, as supported by the application of different statistical models. TITRA5 excelled in titrating unfiltered hydrolysate while simultaneously measuring the alkalinity, whereas the GC method provided detailed information on the contribution of different fatty acids to the total acidity. In contrast, the spectrophotometric assay suffered from many forms of interference, depending on the sample＇s matrix. SCFA production followed the pattern of enzymatic reactions and fitted the Michaelis-Menten model. In addition to promoting TITRA5 as an accurate and robust analytical tool for routine SCFA analyses, this comparative study also demonstrated the possibility of storing hydrolysate samples at different temperatures and durations without altering the SCFA measurements.