EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE STIMULATION AT SANYINJIAO (SP 6) ON CEREBRAL GLUCOSE METABOLISM IN DYSMENORRHEA PATIENTS

Objective: To study the central mechanism of acupuncture stimulation of Sanyinjiao (三阴交 SP 6) in relieving dysmenorrhea. Methods: A total of 6 dysmenorrhea volunteer patients were subjected into this study. On the first positron emission tomography (PET) scan examination, they were assigned to pseudo-acupuncture group by using the acupuncture needle just to prick the skin of Sanyinjiao (SP 6); while on the second PET scans, they were assigned to acupuncture group by inserting the needle into the same acupoint. 18F fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18F-FDG) PET of the whole brain was performed during pseudo-acupuncture and real acupuncture of Sanyinjiao (SP 6). The acquired PET data were analyzed by using statistical parametric mapping (SPM) software to determine changes of glucose metabolism in different cerebral regions. The patient’s pain intensity was rated by using 0-10 numerical pain intensity scale. Results: After pseudo-acupuncture stimulation of Sanyinjiao (SP 6), no significant changes were found in the pain intensity (P>0.05), while after real-acupuncture stimulation, the pain intensity declined significantly (P<0.01). Following acupuncture of the right Sanyinjiao (SP 6), multiple cerebral regions involving pain were activated (increase of glucose metabolism), including ipsilateral lenticular nucleus (globus pallidus, putamen), ipsilateral cerebellum and insular lobe, bilateral dorsal thalamus, ipsilateral paracentral lobule, bilateral amygdaloid bodies, contralateral substantia nigra of the midbrain, bilateral second somatosensory (SⅡ) areas, ispsilateral hippocampal gyrus, frontal part of the ipsilateral cingulated gyrus, and bilateral mammary bodies of the hypothalamus. In addition, fewer regions of the cerebral cortex responded with decrease of the glucose metabolism after real acupuncture.

Expression of OPGmRNA and ODFmRNA in the patients of hip fracture due to osteoporosis

Objective：To investigate the gene expression of osteoprotegerin（OPG） and osteoclast differentiation factor（ODF） in the bone tissue of patients with hip fracture due to osteoporosis. Methods：OPGmRNA and ODFmRNA in the bone tissue in 50 cases of osteoporosis sufferers（over 50 years old） with hip fracture（Observer Group） and 30 cases of hip facture sufferers with no osteoporosis（Control group） were analyzed with the Semi-Quantitative RT-PCR method. Results：The mRNA expressed of ODF, OPG were both high in the patients with hip fracture. In the control group, the expression of OPG mRNA was observed, while the expression of ODF mRNA was very slight. Conclusion：Aged patients contained all signals including OPG, ODF that are essential for inducing osteoclastogenesis and promoting bone resorption.

EFFECTS OF LOW-FREQUENCY ELECTROACUPUNCTURE ON THE IMMUNOLOGIC FUNCTION IN MORPHINE DEPENDENCE RATS

Objective: To observe the effect of low-frequency electroacupuncture (EA) on the immunologic function in morphine dependence rats. Methods: Forty SD rats were used in this study. Morphine-dependence model was established by intraperitoneal injection of morphine hydrochloride continuously for 5 days and hastened by administration (i.p) of Naloxone. These rats were randomly divided into control, model, EA and auto-demorphinization groups with 10 cases being in each group. In EA group, "Guanyuan"(CV 4),"Mingmen"(GV 4), etc. were punctured and stimulated electrically. Positive T lymphocyte subgroups, CD + 4 and CD + 8 in the peripheral blood were detected with fluorescence immuno-assay. Results: In model group, serum percentage of CD + 4 and CD + 4/CD + 8 decreased considerably in comparison with those of control group (P<0.01); while in EA group, CD + 4 level and CD + 4/CD + 8 increased significantly compared with those of model group (P<0.01); and no significant differences were found between auto-demorphinization group and model group and between EA and control groups in these two indexes. Conclusion: Low-frequency EA can promote the restoration of the immune function of morphine dependence rats.

The clinicopathological and immuohistochemical analysis of solid-pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas:report of 9 cases

Objective：To investigate the clinical features, pathological characteristics and immunophenotype of solid-pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas（SPTP）. Methods：Nine surgically treated cases of SPTP were retrospectively reviewed. Hematoxylin and Eosin（HE） staining and immunohistochemical staining were used to analyze all cases, and the general clinical data was collected. Results：Six patients were asymptomatic except for a palpable mass. Two patients complained of vague-epigastric pain. One patient appeared jaundice. The tumor was encapsulated and solid tissues alternately with cystic tissues. Histologically, the histological structure of solid portion was pseudopapillary with a fibrovascular core. Tumor cells were uniform and medium-sized which were arranged in sheets ets or nests or pseudopapillary patterns. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that SPTP proved positive in vimentin（9/9 cases）, AAT（9/9 cases）, NSE（9/9 cases）, ACT（7/9 cases）, CK20（2/9 cases）, CgA（1/9 cases）, S-100（3/gcases）, PR（4/gcases）, Syn（3/9 cases） and CD56（5/9cases）, negative in CEA and ER. Conclusion：SPTP is a tumor predominantly occurring in young women frequently without special symptoms. This tumor has various characteristical histological patterns with different immunophenotype.

Alteration of Excitatory Amino Acid in Experimen-tal Spinal Cord Injury in Rats

Objective To detect the effect of excitatory ammo add (EAA) in the secondary damage following spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods Glutamate (Glu) and Aspartate (Asp) on the injury site (T8) were studied using a rat SCI model induced by Allen's weight drop method (10g×2. 5cm). The result suggested that Asp and Glu were significantly increased in 10 mm. Results Glu was significantly decreased from 2 h to 24 h,while Asp was a tittle reduced in 2 h,and slightly rose in 4 h as compared with Control Group. Though elevated in 8 h,it dropped again in 24h as compared with Control Group. Conclusion The result indicates that the rise of EAA following SCI could be the cause of the secondary spinal cord damage.