Shiko Chichibu

Thermal and Antiradical Properties of Indirect Moxibustion

The thermal and antiradical properties of indirect moxibustion stimulation were investigated by thermal qualitative and spectroscopic methods. The thermal effect of indirect moxibustion was mainly dependent on the spacing distance between the moxa and skin, and not on the moxa weight. The radical scavenging activities of moxa and moxa-tar were measured by a photometric absorbance method, chemical reaction with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl. The obtained results indicate that the inhibitory effects of moxa and moxa-tar on superoxide production are due to the radical scavenging mechanism.

Functional Changes in Thalamic Relay Neurons After Focal Cerebral Infarct: A Study of Unit Recordings from VPL Neurons After MCA Occlusion in Rats

We evaluated neuronal and histological changes of thalamic neurons 1, 4, 7, and 14 days after middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in rats. After the somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were measured from the cerebral cortex, the thalamic relay neuronal activities were recorded with a glass microelectrode following repetitive electrical stimulation of the contralateral forepaw at frequencies ranging from 1 to 50 Hz. In ∼95% of the occluded rats, the ipsilateral somatosensory cortex and/or the subcortical somatosensory pathway developed infarct, resulting in SEP loss. We evaluated unit data from rats with abolished SEPs. The average firing rate of the nucleus ventralis posterolateralis (VPL) neurons in response to 25 stimulations at 30 Hz was significantly reduced to 0.1 spike/stimulus 1 day after MCA occlusion. In sham-operated rats, the same stimulation produced 0.7 spike/stimulus. The firing rate recovered to 0.4 spike/stimulus at 30-Hz stimulation 4 and 7 days after occlusion. This was followed by resuppression (0.1 spike/stimulus) 14 days after occlusion. Histological study revealed some abnormal neurons in the ipsilateral thalamus 7 days after occlusion. We were unable to find normal-shaped neurons in the VPL 14 days after occlusion. The present study demonstrates that cortical infarct produces functional and morphologic changes that gradually and progressively affect the ipsilateral thalamus, although incomplete transient recovery of somatosensory transmission may occur.

Effect of indirect moxibustion on mouse skin

Effect of indirect moxibustion stimulation on mouse skin was studied by thermal qualitative, biochemical, and histological methods. The maximum temperature change by indirect moxibustion was about 65 degrees C on the skin, and 45 degrees C in the subcutaneous layer. The treatment of indirect moxibustion was found to be associated with the decrease of lipid peroxidation and increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the skin. Histological findings after indirect moxibustion showed an increase in the number of hair mother cells and hypertropy of the cells.

Energy metabolism in unrestrained fish with in vivo 31P-NMR

Abstract 1. 1. We evaluated changes in high energy phosphate metabolism in unrestrained freshwater loaches by in vivo 31 P-NMR. 2. 2. When dissolved oxygen was deficient, both an increase in Pi and a decrease in PCr were observed as the loach struggled. 3. 3. After pretreating the fish with an anesthetic agent, we observed the dependence of high energy phosphate metabolism on changes in dissolved oxygen. 4. 4. Under anesthetic [Pi]/[Pi] + [PCr] ratio, an index of metabolic state, was lower than without anesthesia. 5. 5. Decrease in high energy phosphate metabolism in fish during oxygen deficiency was not caused by poor oxygen supply but resulted from struggle movement due to lack of oxygen.

TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL PROPERTIES OF SLOW WAVES IN THE ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM OF SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS

1. Electroencephalogram (EEG) of stroke‐prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) and M(malignant)‐SHRSP were analysed for excitability changes in the cerebral neuronal circuit using power spectral comparisons.

Characteristics of muscular contraction caused by magnetic stimulation.

CHARACTERISTICS of muscular contraction induced by magnetic stimulation were studied using isolated gastrocnemius muscles of a frog. The figure-eight coil position was regarded as 0° when the direction of induced current was parallel to the muscle fiber axis, and 90° when the induced current was perpendicular to the muscle fiber axis. Muscular contraction readily occurred with lower outputs of magnetic stimulation at 0° and 180°, but it was weak at 90° and 270°. Magnetic stimulation did not directly induce muscular contraction but it acted on the synapses forming end plates to muscle cells, and muscular contraction occurred if the direction of the eddy current was parallel to the nerve which innervated the muscle cells.

Phosphorylation in crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) eggs during hatching

Abstract 1. 1.|The high-energy phosphorylation metabolism in crayfish, Procambarus clarkii eggs during brooding and juvenile crayfish after hatching was studied by in vivo31P nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR) spectroscopy. 2. 2.|Inorganic phosphoric acid (Pi) and adenosine-5′-triphosphate ATP(γ-,α-,β-) were detected in the dark brownish red eggs after oviposition. 3. 3.|In orange unhatched eggs, only sugar phosphate (SP), Pi and resolved phosphometabolite from ATP were observed. 4. 4.|Peaks of SP, Pi, arginine phosphate (Arg-P), and ATP (γ,α,β) appeared in larvae of crayfish after hatching (nauplius, zoea and juvenile crayfish). 5. 5.|The high-energy phosphorylation metabolism changed to an anaerobic condition along with a decrease in the concentration of dissolved oxygen in fresh water.

Changes in high-energy phosphate metabolites in loaches (cobitis biwae) during 2-phenoxyethanol anesthesia

Abstract 1. We evaluated changes in high-energy phosphate metabolism in the muscle of loaches during 2-phenoxyethanol (2-PE) anesthesia by 31 P-NMR. 2. The creatine phosphate (PCr) concentration increased while the inorganic phosphate (Pi) concentration decreased in the muscle as 2-PE anesthesia was continued, but both returned to the preanesthetic values with recovery from the anesthesia. 3. The sugar phosphate (SP) concentration also increased during anesthesia, but SP did not disappear after recovery. 4. In the muscle of loaches anesthetized with 2-PE, the phosphate metabolism was aerobic, but carbohydrate metabolism was suppressed.

Relation between magnetically evoked EMG and neuropathological changes in M-SHRSP

The hypothalamus that is known to be crucial for the reaction to aversive stimuli is rich in histaminergic neurons and fibers. Recently, the H3 receptor, which regulates histamine release from presynaptic site, has been investigated in association with stress-induced brain activity. We investigated the changes of histamine contents and histamine Hl and H3 receptors in brains of rats subjected to food-deprived activity stress for 1,4, and 14days. For comparison, forced swimming stress was also given to rats for 1,4, and 14days. The contents of brain histamine were significantly increased while the density of Hl and H3 receptors was decreased in the cortex and diencephalon in stress rats. On the contrary, the contents of GABA in the cortex and diencephalon were decreased. These data revealed that the histaminergic neurotransmission was significantly modulated by the stressful conditions such as activity stress and forced swimming. As the extensive exercise and restricted feeding are thought to be associated with anorexia nervosa, the abnormalities in the histaminergic neuron system might contribute to trait status in anorexia nervosa.

Expression of immunoreactivity induced in CH3/HEN mice lumbar spinal cord neourons after moxibustion and noxious stimulation

Interleukin-12 ( IL-12 ) , which is a heterodimeric cytokine comprising p35 and p40 chain, has the central significance in the regulation of immune responses. Recent reports indicated that recombinant p40 homodimer acted as the receptor antagonist for heterodimeric IL-12. However, it is still unknown whether p40 homodimer is produced in normal cells. In this study, both protein and mRNA for p40 were detected in mouse dorsal root ganglion ( DRG ) neurons by RT-PCR, in situ hybridization and immunocytochemical study, but ~35 was not detected in these neurons. In addition, the disulfide-bonded p40 homodimer was detected in supernatants from cultures of gamma interferon-stimulated DRG neurons by Western blotting analysis. The results indicate that DRG neurons produce p40 homodimer and secrete it in response to gamma interferon. These p40 homodimer from DRG neurons may regulate the local immune response in the skin in response to gamma interferon,from immune cells.