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Background. This study conducted exploratory research using artificial intelligence methods. The main purpose of this study is to establish an association model between metabolic syndrome and the TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) constitution using the characteristics of individual physical examination data and to provide guidance for medicated diet care. Methods. Basic demographic and laboratory data were collected from a regional hospital health examination database in northern Taiwan, and artificial intelligence algorithms, such as logistic regression, Bayesian network, and decision tree, were used to analyze and construct the association model between metabolic syndrome and the TCM constitution. Findings. It was found that the phlegm-dampness constitution (90.6%) accounts for the majority of TCM constitution classifications with a high risk of metabolic syndrome, and high cholesterol, blood glucose, and waist circumference were statistically significantly correlated with the phlegm-dampness constitution. This study also found that the age of patients with metabolic syndrome has been advanced, and shift work is one of the risk indicators. Therefore, based on the association model between metabolic syndrome and TCM constitution, in the future, metabolic syndrome can be predicted through the syndrome differentiation of the TCM constitution, and relevant medicated diet care schemes can be recommended for improvement. Conclusion. In order to increase the public’s knowledge and methods for mitigating metabolic syndrome, in the future, nursing staff can provide nonprescription medicated diet-related nursing guidance information via the prediction and assessment of the TCM constitution.

BackgroundRoutine health check-up is associated with improved lifespan and reduced medical cost. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) serves as a cost-effective modality in healthcare system. We examined the correlations of TCM syndromes with modern medical indicators in health check-up population.MethodsWe studied 5231 subjects undergoing health check-up between January 1st 2008 and December 31, 2016. Physical indexes such as body weight and blood pressure and biomedical indicators like live function and tumour markers were measured. All subjects underwent colonoscopy. All subjects were classified and differentiated into five different TCM syndromes. An artificial neural network (ANN) was employed to evaluate the predictive value of TCM syndrome differentiation.ResultsOf enrolled subjects, SADH accounted for 85.8% and IDSIBSB was found in 4576 subject (87.5%). YaDSK and YiDLK accounted for 99.5% (5207) and 80.9% (4232) respectively. We found that YiDLK is correlated with abnormality of liver function indexes. The results showed that SADH is correlated with level of cholesterol in health check-up population. The results showed that the predictive ANN model showed a good fitting with an accuracy of 100%.ConclusionThe results demonstrated that TCM syndromes were closely correlated with clinical laboratory indexes regardless of health status. TCM syndrome differentiation is suggested to contribute to routine health examination as screening measure with its non-invasive nature.

The present study showed that oral mushroom beta-glucan treatment significantly increased IFN-γmRNA expression but significantly reduced COX-2 mRNA expression within the lung. For LLC tumor model, oralGanoderma lucidumorAntrodia camphoratapolysaccharides treatments significantly reduced TGF-βproduction in serum. In addition, IL-12 and IFN-γmRNA expression were significantly increased, but IL-6, IL-10, COX-2, and TGF-βmRNA expression were substantially following oral mushroom polysaccharides treatments. The study highlights the efficacious effect of mushroom polysaccharides for ameliorating the immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment. Increased M1 phenotype of tumor-associated macrophages and attenuated M2 phenotype of tumor-associated macrophages could be achieved by ingesting mushroom polysaccharides.

This study aimed to examine the correlation of heart rate variability (HRV) and meridian electrical conductance among middle-aged women during an 8-week period of auricular acupressure (AA) treatment for weight reduction.Sixty (60) subjects were randomized either to a control group (n=30) or to a treatment group with AA (n=30). Anthropometric parameters, HRV indices, and meridian levels were measured before treatment, at the 5th week, and 1 week after the 8-week treatment period.Although no significant changes were observed in body weight (BW) and body-mass index (BMI) from baseline to 1 week after AA treatment, a significant decrease in Waist Circumference (WC) was observed in the acupressure group. In contrast, the subjects' BW, BMI, and WC were significantly increased from baseline to the 9th week in the control group. With adjustment for baseline low frequencies (LF) of HRV, the LF at the 5th and 9th weeks in the acupressure groups was generally lower than that in the control group, with a p-value=0.027 using the mixed linear model. The meridian levels for Spleen, Bladder, and Gallbladder were significantly lower in the group subjected to acupressure than in the control group at the 5th week.The results of the present study indicate that AA tends to inactivate the sympathetic nervous activity demonstrated by both HRV and meridian electrical conductance changes. As a result, AA may modulate the autonomic nervous system to exert its physiological effect through the pathway of the meridian system.

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture or acupressure at the Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoint in relieving pain associated with primary dysmenorrhea. We searched the scientific literature databases to identify randomized controlled trials. The primary outcome was visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score. Three acupuncture and four acupressure trials were included in the meta-analyses. For the acupuncture analysis, there was no difference in the mean VAS score reduction between the SP6 acupoint and control (GB39 acupoint) groups (−4.935; lower limit = −15.757, upper limit = 5.887;P=0.371). For the acupressure analysis, there was a significant difference in the mean VAS score after intervention between the SP6 acupoint and control (rest/light touch at SP6/nonacupoint acupressure) groups, favoring the SP6 acupoint group (−1.011; lower limit = −1.622, upper limit = −0.400;P=0.001). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated good reliability of the meta-analyses findings. These findings suggest that acupuncture at SP6 is not more effective than acupuncture at an unrelated acupoint in the relief from primary dysmenorrhea. Acupressure at SP6 may be effective in the relief from primary dysmenorrhea. High-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.

The purpose of the present study is to explore the effect of yoga on the serum levels of homocysteine and nitric oxide (NO) in a cohort of women with primary dysmenorrhea and normal healthy controls.A prospective controlled trial was conducted in 35 women with primary dysmenorrhea and 35 healthy controls in a community-based study. Short-form Menstrual Distress Questionnaires (MDQs) were administered to assess the menstrual symptoms. All participants were provided yoga intervention, twice a week at 30 minutes/session, consecutively for 8 weeks. Blood samples were drawn from each woman on the third day of the menstrual cycle. Assessments of MDQs and blood samples for the determination of homocysteine and NO concentrations were performed at baseline and within the first 3 days of their next menses after completion of yoga intervention.A total of 30 women from the dysmenorrheal group and 30 from the control group completed the study. Homocysteine levels were higher in those with dysmenorrhea when compared with healthy controls before yoga intervention (Mann-Whitney U test, p0.05); however, no statistically significant differences were found between the two groups after 8 weeks of yoga training (p0.05). The concentrations of homocysteine in both the dysmenorrheal and control groups after 8 weeks decreased by 51.37% and 46.46%, respectively (p0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in NO levels between the two groups at baseline and after intervention. The total scores on the MDQs decreased significantly after yoga intervention in the dysmenorrheal group (p0.05).Yoga intervention was found to be associated with reductions in severity of dysmenorrhea and may be effective in lowering serum homocysteine levels after an intervention period of 8 weeks. These observations suggest that yoga may have therapeutic effects in women by restoring endothelial function.

Pain induced by surgery is a dynamic symptom, which may be quite variable even in the same surgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the analgesic effect of far infrared rays on the patients during the postoperative period of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The selection and application of analgesic methods after the orthopedic surgery are therefore valuable for advanced studies.The quasi-experimental design with a total five consecutive days of far infrared ray (FIR) thermal therapy was employed in this study.The study involved 41 participants assigned by register code entry on computer to either the intervention or the control group.The FIR pads were applied on the acupoints of ST37 (Shang Chu Hsu), ST38 (Tiao Kou), ST39 (Hsia Chu Hsu), and ST40 (Feng Lung) of the patients involved in the experimental group from the third day to the fifth day after the TKA.The analgesic effect was evaluated via the pain intensity of the numeric rating scale (NRS) level and serum concentration of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and endothelin-1 (ET-1).The FIR showed that the significant effects are on relieving pain and lowering the levels of IL-6 and ET-1. The results cannot only be the reference for the postoperative pain relief of TKA, but it can also be the database of another clinical application.This study demonstrated that the FIR can lower the NRS of pain and thus reduce the discomfort experienced by the patient. Findings indicated that effective application of FIR decreased the serum level of IL-6 and ET-1, which represent the subjective indicator of pain.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of local thermal therapy with far-infrared rays (FIR) on menopausal symptoms and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women.A prospective randomized, controlled trial was conducted in female volunteers from communities in Northern Taiwan. The intervention group (n=22) received local thermal therapy with the help of FIR from an FIR emitter, for approximately 20 minutes per day, twice a week, for 20 sessions. They received the therapy on their backs while lying in a supine position. The control group (n=21) received no treatment. The primary outcome was the change in the Perceived Perimenopausal Disturbances Scale, designed for the measurement of menopause-related symptoms (MRS) before and after completion of treatment in a 10-week period. Secondary outcome parameters included serum levels of estradiol (E2) with osteocalcin (OC), and calcaneal BMD by quantitative ultrasound.After 10 weeks of intervention, MRS determined by the scale decreased in mean total scores and mean scores for vasomotor, musculoskeletal, urologic, reproductive, and psychologic domains (p0.05), except for reproductive (sexuality-related) symptoms. In the control group, mean total scores and scores of each domain had no significant difference between baseline and follow-up examination after 10 weeks. There was no significant difference between the quantitative ultrasound parameters in the calcaneus, serum E2, and OC levels either at the baseline or in the changes from the baseline between the intervention and control groups of women (p0.05).Local thermal therapy with FIR results in a significant reduction of MRS in postmenopausal women. Serum E2, OC levels, and calcaneal BMD showed no significant changes between the two groups. These results suggest that FIR local thermal therapy may be a potential alternative for the management of postmenopausal symptoms.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of far-infrared (FIR) rays on the meridian in hemodialysis (HD) patients. End-stage renal disease or kidney failure is the last stage of chronic renal failure, and often implies that the renal function cannot be restored and HD or kidney transplantation is required as a life-saving measure. HD patients often feel sick, debilitated, demotivated, and sad. A quasi-experimental design was conducted using convenience sampling with 61 HD patients from a hemodialysis center. Meridian testing and Brief Fatigue Inventory-Taiwan Form (BFI-T) were used as screening test for HD. The experimental group (n = 36) received FIR irradiation on each acupoint for 30 min, thrice a week, for two months, whereas the control group (n = 25) received no intervention. The outcome measures included meridian equipment, the level of hemoglobin (Hb), albumin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (CRE), and BFI-T. Ryodoraku values reveal a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the left small intestine meridian, left large intestine meridian, and yin-yang ratio. Overall, the increase in the meridians of the patients of experimental group is significantly higher than that of the control group. The results establish that FIR treatment on Qihai (RN 6), Guanyuan (RN 4), Zhongji (RN 3), and Tianshu (ST 25) is effective. Based on these findings, one can believe that FIR regulates the Qi of the kidney. The findings of this study would help doctors effectively dealing with thermal therapy treatment of HD patients.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulations (TEAS) on body composition and heart rate variability (HRV) in postmenopausal women with obesity. In this prospective study, 49 postmenopausal women were recruited in Taiwan. Body composition was used as a screening test for obesity (percentage body fat > 30%, waist circumference > 80 cm). The experimental group (n= 24) received TEAS treatment 30 min twice per week for 12 weeks at the Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) acupoints. The control group (n= 25) did not receive any intervention. The study of HRV was analyzed by time (standard deviation of the normal-to-normal (NN) intervals (SDNN) and square root of the mean squared differences of successive NN intervals (RMSSD) indices) and frequency domain methods. Power spectral components were obtained at low (LF) and high (HF) frequencies. Body composition and HRV values were measured at the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks. A total of 40 subjects completed this study. Waist circumference and percentage body fat in the experimental group (n= 20) were significantly less than those of the control group (n= 20) at the 8th and 12th weeks (allP< .05). Additionally, at the same time points, percentage lean body mass in the experimental group was significantly greater than that in the control group (P< .05). SDNN values increased significantly at the 4th and 8th weeks when compared with the control group (allP< .05). At 12 weeks, SDNN value was not significantly different from that of the control group (P= .105). TEAS treatment improves body composition, and has a transient effect on the HRV in postmenopausal women with obesity.

To evaluate the effects of acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (AL-TENS) on children with asthma.After an 8-week run-in period, the experimental group were assigned to treatment with AL-TENS, whereas the control group did not receive AL-TENS. A total of 43 children with asthma were recruited from a hospital and an elementary school. All the cases had been diagnosed as having asthma by physicians. The outcome measures included pulmonary function tests (PFTs), heart rate turbulence (HRT), heart rate variability (HRV), and pediatric asthma quality-of-life questionnaire (PAQLQ).After 8 weeks of AL-TENS, there were no significant differences on forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV₁/FVC, and peak expiratory flows (PEFs) between the two groups. The HRT is the physiological, biphasic response of the sinus node to premature ventricular contractions. In the experimental group, the mean HRT was statistically significant between pretest and posttest. The HRV and the PAQLQ showed no difference, but in the experimental group, the subscale of the PAQLQ (particularly activity) improved significantly more than the pretest scores. Furthermore, there were no differences in PFTs and HRV after 8 weeks of AL-TENS between the two groups.The PAQLQ activities of the experimental group improved significantly more than those of the control group. Reasons may include: 1) the asthma cases were stable and the cases were on stable status and 2) the degree of airway remodeling was less. It is suggested that in the future, treatment frequency and the long-term follow-up for evaluating the effects of AL-TENS on children with asthma should also be considered.

This study evaluates the effects of electrical stimulation on body composition and the meridian system in postmenopausal women with obesity. Forty-one postmenopausal women were recruited in Taiwan. The body composition was used as a screening test for obesity (percentage of body fat: > 30%, waist circumference: > 80 cm). The experimental group (EG, n = 20) received modulated middle-frequency electrical stimulation treatment for 20 min twice a week for 12 consecutive weeks at the Zusanli (ST36) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoints. The control group (CG, n = 21) did not receive any intervention. The measurements of body composition and the meridian system were recorded for both groups in the pre- and post-study. The results showed that the data of body composition (weight, waist and hip circumference, percentage of body fat, and percentage of lean muscle mass) changed considerably in the EG ( p < 0.05); however, no significant difference was observed in the CG. The left triple burner meridian changed notably in both EG and CG throughout the study ( p < 0.05), however there was no difference between the two groups in the overall mean value, up-down ratio, qi and blood ratio, and yin-yang ratio. Our findings suggest that modulated middle-frequency electrical stimulation could help to improve body composition in postmenopausal women with obesity, potentially providing them with better care and health by integrating Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.

Title. Effects of thermal therapy on uremic pruritus and biochemical parameters in patients having haemodialysis. Aim. This paper is a report of a trial to identify the effect of thermal therapy with far-infrared rays in comparison with non-thermal therapy on uremic pruritus and biochemical parameters. Background. Uremic pruritus remains one of the most frustrating, common, and potentially disabling symptoms in patients undergoing haemodialysis. The mechanism underlying uremic pruritus is poorly understood. Although enough is known to determine a reasonable treatment approach, more research is needed to evaluate more reliable treatments. Methods. A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was conducted in 2005 using questionnaires and measurement of blood biochemical parameters. A total of 41 uremic patients on maintenance haemodialysis were randomly assigned either to the thermal therapy group or the control group. The thermal therapy group was treated with 40°C thermal therapy with far-infrared rays at the Sanyinjiao acupoint for 15 minutes once a day on two days a week for a total of 18 sessions. The control group received a plain adhesive patch placed on the same acupoint. Findings. Both groups showed statistically significant improvements but there were no differences between groups, while a relatively large decrease in pruritus scores was found in the thermal therapy group (P

Patients receiving regular hemodialysis sessions have been known to suffer from fatigue and depression. This experiment was designed to determine the effects of far infrared ray (FIR) stimulation on acupoints of patients suffering from renal failure who are receiving regular hemodialysis. Patients receiving long-term and regular hemodialysis who volunteered for this procedure were randomly selected to undergo either FIR or heat pad (HP) therapy to determine the impact of FIR treatment on these patients. Both the activities of the autonomic nervous system and changes in quality of life were measured before and after treatment to determine the effectiveness of the FIR treatment. Results from this study show that FIR therapy decreases both stress and fatigue levels of these patients. It also stimulates autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity in patients who are diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and are receiving regular hemodialysis (HD). Therefore, benefits of FIR stimulation on these patients are clearly demonstrated in this preliminary study.

Little is known about the effect of far-infrared rays (FIR) on serotonin and malondialdehyde levels in depressed patients with insomnia. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of far-infrared rays on depressed people with insomnia. A randomized design was used to determine this effect. A total of 70 inpatients were recruited with the clinical diagnosis of depression with sleep disturbance. In the experimental group, FIR was applied to three chosen acupuncture points by a patch-like sticker for a period of 15 minutes twice a week. The three acupuncture points are Nei-Kuan (PC6), Shenmen (HT7) and Sanyinjiao (SP6). The total duration of experiment was four weeks. For both experimental and control groups, serum levels of serotonin (5HT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were examined before and after the introduction of FIR. The experimental group revealed disparate changes over different dependent variables, in which serotonin increased but MDA decreased after the introduction of FIR. These observations indicate that the serotonin pathway is involved in the pathophysiological mechanism responsible for the damaging effects of MDA on depressed patients with insomnia.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Baduanjin exercise on oxidative stress, antioxidant status and quality of life in middle-aged women. A quasi-experimental design was adopted. Subjects were 31 middle-aged women. Subjects completed a supervised and standardized Baduanjin exercise program 3 times a week for 12 weeks. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level was measured and determined by using a spectrophotometer for oxidative stress. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) was measured for the antioxidant status. A 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to evaluate changes in quality of life. All outcome measures were collected before intervention and at the end of a 12-week intervention. The results suggest that there are significant differences in serum SOD level with Baduanjin exercise. SOD level was significantly increased after exercise ( p < 0.05). Baduanjin exercise contributed significantly to antioxidant status on these samples. However, a reduction in MDA level was observed. The t-test value was 2.03 with a p-value of 0.052. The changes may be meaningful at a 5% level. There are significant improvements in quality of life after the exercise program. Subjects had greater improvements in 4 dimensions of SF-36, namely physical function, body pain, social function and general mental health ( p < 0.05). In conclusion, Baduanjin exercise has beneficial effects on improving quality of life, increasing antioxidant enzymes and reducing oxidative stress in middle-aged women. Reduction of MDA level may be more attributable to the increase in the antioxidant enzyme SOD.

Background We performed a systematic review of the efficacy of various types of acupuncture in the treatment of asthma in children. Methods We searched the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases up to October 20, 2014. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of children and adolescents (

In this study, we investigated the possible pathophysiological mechanisms in primary dysmenorrhea. The study was undertaken to determine the effect of homocysteine on the nitric oxide (NO) pathway in primary dysmenorrheal women. A total of 94 students from a local nursing college participated. Group 1 consisted of 51 normal subjects with no dysmenorrhea. Group 2 had 43 subjects with dysmenorrheal symptoms. Our results show that serum NO levels in group 2 are higher than those in group 1. However, the serum homocysteine level was lower in group 2. These observations indicate that the NO pathway is involved in the pathophysiological mechanism responsible for the damaging effects of homocysteine on dysmenorrheal women.

In this study, we examined acacetin (5,7-dihydroxy-4'-methoxyflavone), a flavonoid compound, for its effect on proliferation in human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells. The results first reported that acacetin not only inhibited A549 cell proliferation but also induced apoptosis and blocked cell cycle progression in the G1 phase. ELISA assay demonstrated that acacetin significantly increased the expression of p53 and p21/WAF1 protein, which caused cell cycle arrest. An enhancement in Fas and its two forms of ligands, membrane-bound Fas ligand (mFasL) and soluble Fas ligand (sFasL), might be responsible for the apoptotic effect induced by acacetin. Taken together, p53 and Fas/FasL apoptotic system may participate in the antiproliferative activity of acacetin in A549 cells.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the symptoms of dysmenorrhea in young women were related to serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. Ninety-four non-smoking and non-drinking female subjects without serious disease from a nursing college in Taiwan were divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 51 subjects without dysmenorrheal, and Group 2 of 43 subjects with dysmenorrheal symptom. All subjects were provided informed consent. Results showed that the serum levels of MDA and of IL-6 were significantly different between the two groups (P < 0.05) and (P < 0.005), respectively. We conclude that the pathological mechanism of dysmenorrhea is mediated by oxidative stress caused by the action of cytokine.

The study objective of this research is in order to investigate the hepatoprotective and therapeutic effects of propolis ethanol extract (PEE) on acute econazole-induced liver injury. Positive control of various concentrations of PEE on liver function and the dose-response relationship of liver injury induced by various doses of econazole were firstly observed from biochemical assay of serum level of aspartate transaminase (SGOT) and serum alanine transaminase (SGPT) and histopathological microscopic examination. The hepatoprotective effects of various concentration of PEE on liver damage induced by hepatotoxic dose (300 mg/kg) of econazole were observed by the obvious decrement of SGOT and SGPT level and further confirmed by hepatohistological microscopic examination. The inhibitory effects of PEE on FeCl2-induced (in vitro) or econazole-induced (in vivo) lipid peroxidation were investigated from the measurement of the formed malonic dialdehyde (MDA) level in the rat liver homogenate. The IC50 (μM) of various concentrations of PEE in the superoxide scavenging activity in econazole (300 mg/kg)-damaged rat liver homogenate were assessed by cytochrome c reduction method and compared with that of (+)-alpha-tocopherol. It could be postulated that the hepatoprotective effect of PEE may be, at least in part, due to their inhibitory ability on membrane lipid peroxidation and free radical formation or due to their free radical scavenging ability.

Angelica archangelica (AAA) has been effectively used in folk medicines as a remedy against stomachal and intestinal disturbances, arthritic disease, etc. However, there is still lack of scientific proof about its antioxidant capability. This study aimed at investigating the effects of total AAA against chronic ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. ICR mice were divided into five groups, each consisting of 10 animals. A single dose of ethanol (70%, 0.1 ml, p.o.) was used to induce hepatotoxicity in these mice which resulted in a significant elevation of the activities of serum GOT and GPT. Treatment of mice with AAA (10, 25, and 50 mg/kg p.o.) after 2 weeks ameliorated the ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity effects. Hepatotoxicity was evidenced by a significant increase in hepatic lipid peroxidation manifested as the presence of malondialdehyde. It was found that AAA inhibits the malondialdehyde formation in mouse liver homogenates both in vitro and in vivo. AAA is cytoprotective agent effective against chronic ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity, possibly through inhibition of the production of oxygen free radicals that cause lipid peroxidation, and hence indirectly protects the liver from oxidative stress.

Acute oral administration of absolute ethanol (1.0 ml/kg) to fasting rats produced extensive necrosis of the gastric mucosa within 1 h. Pretreatment 30 min before administration of ethanol with oral tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) prevented this necrosis. Gross examination of the gastric mucosa of rats that received TMP showed fewer gastric lesions than that of rats who did not receive TMP. TMP pretreatment in rats exhibited superoxide scavenging activity in absolute ethanol-induced lipid peroxidation in gastric mucosal homogenates. TMP added in vitro to gastric homogenates made from control rats also showed scavenging activity. We conclude that the gastric protective mechanism of TMP could be attributed, at least in part, to its ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation and hence indirectly protect the gastric mucosa from oxidative stress.

Oxygen free radicals have been suggested to be a contributory factor in complications of diabetes mellitus. In the present study, we investigated the effect of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) (10, 25 and 50 mg/kg), an active component of a Chinese medicinal plant Ligusticum wallich Franch (Chuanxiang), on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic male ICR mice. STZ was injected as a single daily dose (4 mg/kg i.p. in buffered citrate solution, pH 4.0) for one week. A single daily dose of TMP (10, 25 or 50 mg/kg i.p.) was administered for 2 weeks to the STZ-induced diabetic mice immediately following 1 week STZ induction. Plasma glucose and serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentrations were estimated at the time of sacrifice. Malonialdehyde (MDA) formation was measured from the liver and kidney tissues. TMP dose dependently inhibited glucose concentration and BUN elevation. TMP also remarkably reduced the degree of lipoperoxidation. Our results indicate that TMP may be an effective agent for treatment of diabetes mellitus complications with oxidative stress.

Recently studies performed on mushroom isolated polysaccharides demonstrated thatβ-(1,3)-glucan may affect the balance of Th1/Th2 cell response. Using ovalbumin (OVA) as a hypersensitivity inducer, we evaluated the ability of mushroom beta-glucan (MBG) in modulating Th1/Th2 cell responses in B6 mice. As compared to the control group, administration of MBG resulted in an increase of phagocytic activities, Th1 cytokine productions, immunoglobulins including IgG2A and IgA, and a significant expression of the splenic surface markers including CD3, CD4, CD8, and F4/80. In contrast, administration of MBG has significantly suppressed IgE and IgG1 levels and Th2 cytokines including IL-4, IL-5, and IL-6. Histopathological observation of MBG-treated followed by OVA-treated mice showed less filtration of eosinophil in pulmonary tissue sections. Our data suggested that administration of MBG treatments alters the natural course of the IgE-mediated hypersensitivities. In this investigation, we realize the mushroom beta glucan alter the Th2 response toward the Th1 in the allergic, resulting in a reduction in IgE productions which played a substantive role in reducing the severity of IgE-mediated hypersensitivity.

The antioxidative effect of hot water extract of the mushroom Ganoderma lucidum on ethanol-induced free radical generation had been studied. In order to further investigate the hepatic and renal protective mechanism of Ganoderma lucidum, rates of lipid peroxidation were determined. The hot water extract of Ganoderma lucidum dose-dependently exhibited antioxidative effect on mouse liver and kidney lipid peroxidation; our results indicated that hepatic and renal homogenates have a higher malonic dialdehyde level in an ethanol administered group than in the Ganoderma lucidum treated group. It was concluded that the hepatic and renal protective mechanism of Ganoderma lucidum, might be due at least in part to its prominent superoxide scavenging effect. Ganoderma extract could protect the liver and kidney from superoxide induced hepatic and renal damages.

The hot water extract of the mushroom Ganoderma lucidum was shown to have antioxidative effect against heart toxicity. Investigations into the mechanisms of action, level of lipid peroxidation level in vivo, and superoxide scavenging activity were also conducted. The mice were divided into six groups with ten animals in each group. Ganoderma lucidum, at doses of 10, 25 and 50 mg/kg (p.o.) was administered. Superoxide anions were assayed by UV spectrophotometer using the cytochrome C reduction method. The results of this study showed that Ganoderma lucidum exhibited a dose-dependent antioxidative effect on lipid peroxidation and superoxide scavenging activity in mouse heart homogenate. Additionally, this result indicated that heart damage induced by ethanol shows a higher malonic dialdehyde level compared with heart homogenate treated with Ganoderma lucidum. It is concluded that the antioxidative activity may therefore contribute to the cardioprotective effect of Ganoderma lucidum, and may therefore protect the heart from superoxide induced damage.

1. Vasoconstrictor responses to inspiratory gasp were determined in fingertip skin by laser Doppler flowmetry in relation to age and gender of healthy adults. Variations of the responses were examined together with variations in body mass index and vital capacity. 2. In the absence of any significant difference in the baseline blood flow, the index of vasoconstrictor response (per cent change) induced by inspiratory gasp was higher in young males than in young females (71.4% versus 59.4%; P 3. Strong positive correlations between the index of the vasoconstrictor response and vital capacity in the same subject were found when young males and females were pooled together and when young and middle-aged males were pooled together. Furthermore, after graded inspiratory gasp, graded vasoconstrictor response was observed in the same subject, indicating a close relationship between the depth of inspiration (magnitude of stimulus) and the index of the vasoconstrictor response (reactivity). 4. We concluded that the index of the vasoconstrictor response induced by inspiratory gasp depends significantly on the magnitude of the vital capacity. These results provide a new approach for quantifying dynamic changes in skin blood flow and raise caveats about comparing differences in neurovascular functions using single measurements of vasoconstrictor response induced by inspiratory gasp as an index.

Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that systemic chronic morphine treatment causes down-regulation of spinal adenosine A1 receptors in rats. In this study, we further investigated whether supraspinal morphine treatment causes this effect. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were rendered tolerant to morphine by multiple intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injections for 2 or 4 days. Adenosine A1 receptor binding activities were measured with [3H]cyclohexyladenosine in the spinal cord and midbrain. A significant decrease in [3H]cyclohexyladenosine binding was found in the spinal cord but not in the midbrain region after 2 or 4 days of chronic i.c.v. morphine treatment. A decrease in the number of binding sites (Bmax) with no change in the affinity (Kd) of the ligand for the adenosine A1 receptor was observed. These results suggest that supraspinal morphine administration could cause the down-regulation of spinal adenosine A1 receptors and this may play a role in the mechanism of morphine tolerance.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of noninvasive acupoint stimulation therapy with middle-frequency electrical waves on dysmenorrhea in young women.This randomized controlled trial enrolled 66 gynecology patients who had primary dysmenorrhea, which was defined as painful menstruation without pelvic pathology (secondary dysmenorrhea). Pathology was ruled out by gynecological ultrasound examination and serum concentration of CA-125. Subjects were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=34) and control group (n=32). Main outcome measures included McGill Questionnaire Short-form and numerical rating scale for pain intensity. Acupuncture-like trancutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (AL-TENS) of middle-frequency (1000 Hz-10,000 Hz) was applied at Hegu (LI4) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) points in the experimental group twice weekly for 8 weeks; the control group received AL-TENS on nonacupoints. Pre- and postintervention results were recorded.Prior to AL-TENS intervention, no significant differences were found in pain scale and pain intensity between experimental and control groups. After AL-TENS intervention, average total pain score in the experimental group was significantly lower than in the control group (experimental group 2.9±1.2, control group 5.4±2.2; p0.001). Significant differences were observed between experimental and control groups in average change in pain scores between pre- and postintervention (experimental group 4.5±1.9, control group 1.39±2.0; p0.001). Pain severity at postintervention was also significantly different between groups (p0.001).Noninvasive electro-acupuncture stimulation therapy with middle-frequency electric waves applied at both Hegu (LI4) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoints mitigates pain in dysmenorrhea.

The objective of this study is to determine the effects of 12 weeks of lavender aromatherapy on self-reported sleep and heart rate variability (HRV) in the midlife women with insomnia. Sixty-seven women aged 45–55 years, with a CPSQI (Chinese version of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) greater than 5, were recruited from communities in Taiwan. The experimental group ( 𝑛 = 3 4 ) received lavender inhalation, 20 min each time, twice per week, for 12 weeks, with a total of 24 times. The control group ( 𝑛 = 3 3 ) received health education program for sleep hygiene with no intervention. The study of HRV was analyzed by time- and frequency-domain methods. Significant decrease in mean heart rate (HR) and increases in SDNN (standard deviation of the normal-to-normal (NN) intervals), RMSDD (square root of the mean squared differences of successive NN intervals), and HF (high frequency) of spectral powers analysis after lavender inhalation were observed in the 4th and 12th weeks of aromatherapy. The total CPSQI score of study subjects was significantly decreased in the experimental group ( 𝑃 < 0 . 0 0 1 ), while no significant difference was observed across the same time period ( 𝑃 = 0 . 7 7 6 ) in the control group. Resting HR and HRV measurements at baseline 1 month and 3 months after allocation showed no significant difference between the experimental and control groups. The study demonstrated that lavender inhalation may have a persistent short-term effect on HRV with an increase in parasympathetic modulation. Women receiving aromatherapy experienced a significant improvement in sleep quality after intervention. However, lavender aromatherapy does not appear to confer benefit on HRV in the long-term followup.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of auricular acupressure on relieving menstrual symptoms and decreasing nitric oxide (NO) for women with primary dysmenorrhea.This was a randomized clinical trial comparing the effects of auricular acupressure by seed-pressure method and placebo adhesive patch.Settings included colleges in northern and central Taiwan.Serum CA-125 testing was used as a screening test for primary dysmenorrhea (35 mg/dL). The study included 36 college females randomized to acupressure group, 35 to control group.The acupressure group received auricular acupressure by seed-pressure method on liver (CO12), kidney (CO10), and endocrine (CO18) acupoints. The control group had a plain adhesive patch placed on the same acupoints with no seed attached. Acupressure protocol included massaging 15 times on each acupoint, 3 times a day, for a total of 20 days.Primary: Short-form Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQs). Secondary: blood sample of NO. Assessments of MDQs and NO were performed at baseline and within the first 2 days of their next menses (after completion of 20 days of acupressure).In the acupressure group, the overall menstrual symptoms (95% confidence interval [CI] = -49.8 to -6.5, effect size [ES] = 0.43, p = 0.01) and two subscales, menstrual pain (95% CI = -16.4 -to -2.2, ES = 0.45, p = 0.01) and negative affects (95% CI = -11.9-2.0, ES = 0.38, p = 0.04), revealed that menstrual symptoms decreased significantly after auricular acupressure by the seed-pressure method. The ES for the MDQs were in favor of the auricular acupressure by seed-pressure method. NO level increased in the acupressure group, although this difference did not achieve statistical significance (p0.05).This study supports the effects of auricular acupressure by seed-pressure method in improving menstrual symptoms, and offers a noninvasive complementary therapy for women with primary dysmenorrhea.

Free radicals and lipid peroxides, both of which are easily formed in the diabetic state, play an important role in the development of diabetic complications. Antioxidative therapy may help prevent diabetic complications caused by lipoperoxidation and free-radical formation in diabetes mellitus (DM). A number of findings suggest that oxidative stress exists in persons with high-risk DM. Auricular pellet acupressure has reportedly been an effective treatment method for a variety of medical conditions, including anxiety, juvenile myopia, essential hypertension, and senile vascular dementia. However, its effects on antioxidative enzymes have not been elucidated. We therefore evaluated the impact of auricular pellet acupressure on antioxidative status in persons with high-risk DM.Our study involved 69 persons with high-risk DM, who were allocated either to undergo acupressure as active treatment for the experimental group or to a control group.The experimental group in the study received auricular pellet acupressure three times daily for 5 consecutive days. After a 2-day rest period, the procedure was performed on the contralateral ear. Acupressure was performed twice on each ear, with each application followed by its application to the contralateral ear, over a total treatment period of 20 days. The control groups did not undergo auricular pellet acupressure.At the end of the 20-day period of treatment of the experimental group, blood was collected from all of the study participants for assay of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase concentrations, as was also done for the control group.Serum concentrations of SOD (p0.05) and catalase (p0.0001) were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group.Our findings suggest that auricular pellet acupressure can increase the concentration of antioxidative enzymes in persons with high-risk DM.

Acute p.o. administration of 99.5% ethanol (0.1 ml) to fasted mice produced heart toxicity. Pretreatment with p.o. administration of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) could prevent such toxicity effectively and dose-dependently. The maximal antioxidative effect against 99.5% ethanol-induced heart toxicity could be observed at 1 hour after TMP administration. In order to further investigate the heart protective mechanism of TMP, both lipid peroxidation level in vivo and superoxide scavenging activity were conducted. TMP exhibited a dose-dependently anti-lipid peroxidation effect in mice heart homogenate, and results indicated that 99.5% ethanol-induced intoxicated mice hearts have higher malonic dialdehyde (MDA) levels compared with those in TMP administrated mice hearts. These results suggest that the potentially heart protective mechanism of TMP could be contributed, at least in part, to its prominent anti-lipid peroxidation and anti-free radical formation effects, hence it could protect the heart from lipid peroxidation-induced heart toxicity.

Acute p.o. administration of absolute ethanol (10 ml/kg) to fasted mice would produce extensive renal failure. Pretreatment with p.o. administration of propolis ethanol extract (PEE) could prevent such renal failure effectively and dose dependently. This renal protective effect of PEE may be contributed, at least in part, to its antioxidative activity. The maximal antioxidative effect against absolute ethanol (AE)-induced renal failure could be observed 1 hour after PEE administration. In order to further investigate the renal protective mechanism of PEE, lipid peroxidation and superoxide scavenging activity were conducted in vivo. PEE exhibited dose-dependent antioxidative effects on lipid peroxidation in mice renal homogenate. Results indicated that mice with acute renal failure have higher malonic dialdehyde (MDA) levels compared with those in PEE administered mice. It was concluded that the renal protective mechanism of PEE could be contributed, at least in part, to its prominent superoxide scavenging effect; hence, it could protect, indirectly, the kidney from superoxide-induced renal damages.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the antioxidant effects of a hot water extract of Panax notoginseng (PNG) against chronic ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. Fifty mice were divided into five equal groups with 10 in each group. Group 1 (control) received saline, whereas group 2 received ethanol (70%, 0.1 mL, p.o.) once daily for 4 weeks, which induced hepatotoxicity, manifested biochemically by a significant elevation of serum enzyme activities, such as SGOT and SGPT. Hepatotoxicity was further evidenced by a significant increase in the hepatic lipid peroxidation measured. Groups 3–5 were administered a hot water extract of PNG at doses of 10, 25 and 50 mg/kg 2 weeks after initiating oral administration of ethanol, for a further 2 weeks. PNG ameliorated the rise in serum sGOT and sGPT induced by chronic ethanol administration. The mice were killed after PNG administration. In a separate study, PNG inhibited the lipid peroxidation in the mouse liver homogenate induced by ethanol in a dose-dependent manner. The findings indicate that PNG is an efficient cytoprotective agent against chronic ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity, possibly through inhibition of the production of oxygen-free radicals that cause lipid peroxidation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Acute p.o. administration of absolute ethanol (1.0 ml/kg) to fasted rats produced extensive necrosis of gastric mucosa. Pretreatment with p.o. administration of propolis ethanol extract (PEE) could effectively and dose-dependently prevent such necrosis. This protective effect is called "cytoprotection." The maximal cytoprotective effect against absolute ethanol (AE)-induced gastric mucosal lesion was observed 1 hour after PEE administration. A gross examination of the gastric mucosa showed a marked improvement in groups receiving PEE. In order to further investigate the gastric protective mechanism of PEE, lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels in vivo and in vitro were estimated. PEE exhibited dose-dependent superoxide scavenging activity and antioxidant effects on AE-induced LPO in rat gastric mucosal homogenates. It was concluded that the gastric protective mechanism of PEE was due, at least in part, to its ability to inhibit LPO, and hence indirectly protect the gastric mucosa from oxidative stress.

In this study, the intraperitoneal administration of 1 mg/kg thioacetamide (TAA) produced hepatotoxicity in mice. The increase in serum SGOT and SGPT produced at 24 h by this regimen was decreased in a dose-dependent manner by coadministration of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP; 10, 25 and 50 mg/kg). A rise in serum interleukin-2 was similarly prevented. Increased concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) generated in vitro in liver homogenates prepared from TAA-treated mice were decreased by TMP treatments. The increase in MDA produced by TAA was also prevented by in vitro addition of TMP to liver homogenates. These results suggest that part of the hepatocellular injury induced by TAA is mediated by oxidative stress caused by the action of cytokines through lipid peroxidation. TMP appears to act by preventing lipid peroxidation.

Acute administration of absolute ethanol (10 ml/kg) per os to fasted mice produced extensive renal failure as measured by a rise in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. Pretreatment with oral administration of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) prevented such failure. The maximal effect against absolute ethanol-induced renal failure could be observed 1 h after TMP administration. In order to further investigate the renal protective mechanism of TMP, experiments on lipid peroxidation and superoxide scavenging activity were conducted. Renal homogenates made from mice treated with ethanol showed that TMP pretreatment had an antioxidant effect. Mice in acute renal failure had higher malonic dialdehyde concentrations than those pretreated with TMP. The renal protective mechanism of TMP was attributed, in part, to its prominent superoxide scavenging effect, which protects the kidney from superoxide-induced renal damage.

2,3,5,6-Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) is well known as a true calcium antagonist. The aim of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective and therapeutic effects of TMP on acute econazole-induced liver injury. The hepatological effect of various concentrations of TMP was first assessed by the biochemical assays of SGOT and SGPT and then by hepatohistological microscopic examination. The dose-response relationship of liver injury induced by various doses of econazole was observed simultaneously from serum biochemical assay of SGOT and SGPT, and also from hepatohistological microscopic examination, by determination of the hepatoprotective effects of various concentrations of TMP on SGOT and SGPT elevation induced by a hepatotoxic dose of econazole (300 mg/kg). The inhibitory effect of various concentrations of TMP or vitamin E (positive control, 0.5 mM in vitro, 0.69 mM in vivo) on FeCl 2 -induced (in vitro) or econazole-induced (in vivo) lipid peroxidation was also investigated. The superoxide scavenging activity of various concentrations of TMP in econazole-damaged rat liver homogenate was assessed by the cytochrome C reduction method. Results showed that the hepatoprotective effect of TMP might be, at least in part, due to its inhibitory ability on membrane lipid peroxidation and free radical formation, or due to its free radical scavenging ability. Improvement of serum transaminases and MDA levels in rat liver homogenate, hepatohistological microscopic examination, and assessment of free radical scavenging activity by the cytochrome C reduction method were used to detect hepatoprotective and therapeutic effects of TMP on acute econazole-induced liver injury.

Angelica archangelica (AAA) has been effectively used in folk medicines as a remedy against stomachal and intestinal disturbances, arthritic disease, etc. However, there is still lack of scientific proof about its antioxidant capability. This study aimed at investigating the effects of total AAA against chronic ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. ICR mice were divided into five groups, each consisting of 10 animals. A single dose of ethanol (70%, 0.1 ml, p.o.) was used to induce hepatotoxicity in these mice which resulted in a significant elevation of the activities of serum GOT and GPT. Treatment of mice with AAA (10, 25, and 50 mg/kg p.o.) after 2 weeks ameliorated the ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity effects. Hepatotoxicity was evidenced by a significant increase in hepatic lipid peroxidation manifested as the presence of malondialdehyde. It was found that AAA inhibits the malondialdehyde formation in mouse liver homogenates both in vitro and in vivo. AAA is cytoprotective agent effective against chronic ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity, possibly through inhibition of the production of oxygen free radicals that cause lipid peroxidation, and hence indirectly protects the liver from oxidative stress.

Vasoconstrictor response (VR) induced by inspiratory gasp exhibited a strong positive correlation with vital capacity (VC) which reflects the magnitude of the input stimulus for VR (Lau et al., Clin. Sci. 89:233-237, 1995). Whether a stoichiometric relationship existed between VC and VR is not known. We examined this question in two studies by determining VC and microcirculatory blood flow with laser Doppler flowmetry in healthy subjects. We first studied 40 non-smokers of different gender and age and found that the variation in VR cannot be eliminated by normalization with VC. In the second study we examined 10 young male smokers as well as matched non-smokers of identical VC, we found that smokers had reduced VR. Taking together, the present studies demonstrated that vasoconstrictor response (VR) was not determined by vital capacity alone and that smoking adversely affected VR in the absence of altered VC.

Recent studies suggest that the release of adenosine in the spinal cord may be a significant component of the morphine antinociceptive action. We wanted to know whether the spinal adenosine system is involved in morphine tolerance. Animals were rendered tolerant to morphine, and A1 adenosine receptor binding activity was measured. Treating Sprague-Dawley rats with multiple, increasing doses of morphine i.p. for 6 days resulted in an about 10-fold increase in the median antinociceptive dose (AD50) of morphine to elicit an antinociceptive response. On the other hand, this treatment also caused a 4 to 5-fold increase in the AD50 of cyclopentyladenosine (CPA). When A1 adenosine receptor binding was determined by using [3H]cyclohexyladenosine ([3H]CHA) a significant decrease in binding (P less than 0.05) in the spinal cord but not in the cortex was observed. Scatchard analysis of the [3H]CHA saturation binding data revealed a decrease in Bmax values (from 185.5 fmol/mg to 110.2 fmol/mg) and no significant change in Kd values.