Zhang P

Effects of recombinant human relaxin upon proliferation of cardiac fibroblast and synthesis of collagen under high glucose condition

Cardiac fibrosis is a key component of diabetes and involves the proliferation and differentiation of matrixproducing fibroblasts. We determined the influence of high glucose (HG) conditions on cardiac fibroblasts (CF) functions and the effects of recombinant human (rh) relaxin (RLX) in these responses. We cultured neonatal rat CF in either normal glucose (NG) or HG media. The mRNA of procollagen types I and III, and RLX-1 were assessed by real time PCR and procollagen type I C-terminal peptide (PICP) and procollagen type III amino terminal peptide (PIIINP), matrix metalloproteinases 2 (MMP2), MMP9 were assessed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The results are as follows: a) CF proliferation was significantly increased by HG; rhRLX significantly inhibited HG fibroblast proliferation, while it had no marked effect on CF proliferation in NG. b) CF treated with HG significantly increased the production of PICP and PIIINP. rhRLX had no marked effect on production of PICP and PIIINP in NG. rhRLX blocked the HG-induced increases in collagen synthesis, c) The production of MMP2 and MMP9 is significantly increased by HG. rhRLX decreased overproduction of MMP2 and MMP9 in the presence of HG. d) The RLX-1 mRNA expression of HG group was higher than in the NG group. We concluded that rhRLX could inhibit both the proliferation of CF and the synthesis of collagen under the HG condition. HG concentration could stimulate the expression of endogenous RLX.

Does Traditional Chinese Medicine Pattern Affect Acupoint Specific Effect?Analysis of Data from a Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial for Primary Dysmenorrhea

OBJECTIVES This study assessed the importance of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) pattern on an acupoint-specific effect. DESIGN This was a TCM pattern subdivision analysis of the first intervention data from a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial (ISRCTN24863192) (the main trial). SETTINGS The main trial recruited participants from six hospitals in three provinces in China. SUBJECTS Five hundred and one (501) participants diagnosed with primary dysmenorrhea (PD) were enrolled in the main trial. INTERVENTIONS The main trial randomly and equally divided participants into three treatment groups with bilateral electroacupuncture at three sites, respectively: Sanyinjiao (SP6), Xuanzhong (GB39), and an adjacent nonacupoint. Participants were diagnosed with TCM patterns before the treatment. The intervention was carried out when the visual analogue scale (VAS) score of participants menstrual pain was ≥ 40 mm on the first day of menstruation and lasted for 30 minutes. OUTCOME MEASURES The immediate improvement of pain was measured with a 100-mm VAS before the intervention, at 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 30 minutes during the intervention, and at 30 minutes after the completion of this intervention. RESULTS Three (3) TCM patterns (n=320) were eligible for analysis, including Cold and Dampness Stagnation pattern (n=184), Qi and Blood Stagnation pattern (n=84), and Qi and Blood Deficiency pattern (n=52). In Cold and Dampness Stagnation pattern, the SP6 group had a significant reduction in VAS scores compared with the GB39 group (mean difference -7.6 mm) and the nonacupoint group (mean difference -8.2 mm), respectively. There was no difference between the latter two groups. There were no group differences in VAS scores in the other two patterns. CONCLUSIONS It suggested that TCM pattern might affect acupoint specific effect on the immediate pain relief obtained for participants with PD.

Influence of de qi on the immediate analgesic effect of SP6 acupuncture in patients with primary dysmenorrhoea and cold and dampness stagnation : a multicentre randomised controlled trial

Objective The aim of this multicentre randomised controlled trial was to investigate the contribution of de qi to the immediate analgesic effect of acupuncture in patients with primary dysmenorrhoea and the specific traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis cold and dampness stagnation. Method Eighty-eight patients with primary dysmenorrhoea and cold and dampness stagnation were randomly assigned to de qi (n=43) or no de qi (n=45) groups and underwent 30 min of SP6 acupuncture. The de qi group received deep needling at SP6 with manipulation using thick needles; the no de qi group received shallow needling with no manipulation using thin needles. In both groups the pain scores and actual de qi sensation were evaluated using a visual analogue scale for pain (VAS-P) and the acupuncture de qi clinical assessment scale (ADCAS), respectively. Results Both groups showed reductions in VAS-P, with no signficant differences between groups. ADCAS scores showed 43/43 and 25/45 patients in de qi and no de qi groups, respectively, actually experienced de qi sensation. Independent of original group allocation, VAS-P reductions associated with actual de qi (n=68) were greater than those without (28.4±18.19 mm vs 14.6±12.28 mm, p=0.008). Conclusions This study showed no significant difference in VAS-P scores in patients with primary dysmenorrhoea and cold and dampness stagnation immediately after SP6 acupuncture designed to induce or avoid de qi sensation. Both treatments significantly reduced VAS-P relative to baseline. Irrespective of group allocation, patients experiencing actual de qi sensation demonstrated larger reductions in pain score relative to those without, suggesting greater analgesic effects. Trial registration number Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-TRC-13003086); Results.

Influences of Deqi on Immediate Analgesia Effect of Needling SP6 (Sanyinjiao) in Patients with Primary Dysmenorrhea in Cold and Dampness Stagnation Pattern: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Deqi, according to traditional Chinese medicine, is a specific needle sensation during the retention of needles at certain acupoints and is considered to be necessary to produce therapeutic effects from acupuncture. Although some modern researches have showed that Deqi is essential for producing acupuncture analgesia and anesthesia, the data are not enough. It is a paper of a multicenter, randomized controlled study protocol, to evaluate the influences of Deqi on acupuncture SP6 in Cold and Dampness Stagnation pattern primary dysmenorrhea patients, in terms of reducing pain and anxiety, and to find out the relationship between Deqi and the temperature changes at SP6 (Sanyinjiao) and CV4 (Guanyuan). The results of this trial will be helpful to explain the role of Deqi in acupuncture analgesia and may provide a new objective index for measuring Deqi in the future study. This trial is registered with ChiCTR-TRC-13003086.