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Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture of "Zusanli" [ST 36, Ho (Sea)-acupoint] and "Zhongwan" (CV 12, front Mu-acupoint) on the expression of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) mRNA and SP mRNA in stress-induced gastric ulcer (GU) rats., Methods: Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group, simple bundling group, GU model group, CV 12 group, ST 36 group and CV 12 + ST 36 (Ho- and front Mu-acupoint combination) group, with 10 cases in each group. GU model was established by binding the rat's four limbs to an animal board and to immerse it to cool water for 24 h. Manual acupuncture stimulation was applied to CV 12, bilateral ST 36 or CV 12 + ST 36 for 20 min, once daily for 2 days. The GU index was evaluated by using Guth's method (1979). GnRH mRNA and SP mRNA expression of the hypothalamus tissue was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)., Results: Compared with the normal group, the GU index values in the simple bundling group and the model group were significantly higher (P < 0.01); while in comparison with the model group, the GU index values were significantly decreased in the CV 12, ST 36 and CV 12 + ST 36 groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Following stress stimulation, hypothalamic GnRH mRNA expression levels in the simple bundling group and the model group were remarkably increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), whereas those of hypothalamic SP mRNA expression had no apparent changes in these two groups (P > 0.05). After manual acupuncture intervention, hypothalamic GnRH mRNA expression levels in the CV 12, ST 36 and CV 12 + ST 36 groups were evidently down-regulated and SP mRNA expression levels in the ST 36 and CV 12+ ST 36 groups were remarkably upregulated in comparison with the model group (P < 0.01). No significant differences were found between the CV 12 and ST 36 groups in the GU index, among the CV 12, ST 36 and CV 12 + ST 36 groups in GnRH mRNA expression, and between the CV 12 and model groups in the expression levels of SP mRNA (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: Acupuncture of CV 12 and ST 36 can relieve stress-induced gastric ulcer in the rat, which is closely with its effect in down-regulating hypothalamic GnRH mRNA expression.

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Sanyin" acupoints (bilateral "Jiayin" and "Zhongyin") on the cellular immune function of rats with chronic abacterial prostatitis (CAP), so as to explore its mechanism underlying relieving CAP., Methods: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, model, medication (Cernilton) and EA (n = 10 rats/group). The CAP model was made by injection of allogeneic prostatein purification liquid + Freund's complete adjuvant (1:1) and diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT) vaccine (0.5 mL). EA was applied to bilateral "Jiayin" acupoints (located at the bilateral groins at the horizontal level of the upper border of the pubic symphysis) and "Zhongyin" [the midpoint between the "Huiyin" (CV 1) and the scrotum root, punctured with filiform needle] for 20 min, once daily for two therapeutic courses (15 days/course, one day break between the two courses). Rats of the medication group were given with oral administration of Cernilton (13 mg/kg) once daily for 15 days. Following killing the rats under deep anesthesia, the prostate wet weight, and prostate index (prostate weight/body weight) were determined. Pathological changes of the prostate tissue were examined by light microscope after sectioning and haematoxylin (HE) staining. Plasma levels of CD4+ Th- and CD8+ T-lymphocytes were assayed with flow cytometry., Results: Compared with the control group, the morphological structure of prostate tissues of rats in the model group was severely damaged (proliferation of the prostate epithelium and inflammatory cell infilitration), which was relatively milder in the EA group. The plasma CD4+ level and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were significantly lower in the model group than in the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, plasma CD4+ levels were significantly increased in both medication and EA groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and the CD4+ level of the EA group was considerably higher than that of the medication group (P < 0.05). The ratio of CD4+/CD8+ in the EA group was remarkably higher than that in the model group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found among the four groups in the prostate weight, prostate index and plasma CD8+ levels (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: EA stimulation of "Sanyin" points is beneficial to relieve chronic abacterial prostatitis, which may contribute to its effect in strengthening the cellular immune function via upregulation of plasma CD4+ and CD4+/ CD8+ levels.

Objective: To observe the changes of inflammatory cytokines in autoimmune prostatitis (AIP) rats treated by electro-acupuncture (EA) at Sanyin points., Methods: We selected 40 Wistar male rats in this study, 10 as normal controls, and the other 30 made AIP models by intradermal injection of protein purification liquid from the prostate of allogeneic male rats with dual immune adjuvant. Then we randomly divided the AIP models into a model, a Cernilton control and an EA group of equal number, the latter two groups treated by Cernilton enema and EA, respectively. After 15 days of treatment, all the animals were sacrificed for detection of the levels of TNF-alpha, iNOS, MDA and T-AOC in the prostate tissue., Results: Compared with the normal controls, the model rats showed significantly elevated TNF-alpha expression ([15.31 +/- 1.36] vs [32.20 +/- 1.65] pg/ml, P < 0.01), iNOS activity ([0.81 +/- 0.33] vs [1.25 +/- 0.23] U/ml, P < 0.01) and MDA content ([0.66 +/- 0.14] vs [0.91 +/- 0.21] nmol/ml, P < 0.05), but markedly reduced T-AOC activity ([1.56 +/- 0.16] vs [1.11 +/- 0.15] U/ml, P < 0.01). In comparison with the model group, the EA group exhibited significantly reduced levels of TNF-alpha ([17.32 +/- 2.69 ] pg/ml, P < 0.01), iNOS ([0.98 +/- 0.5 ] U/ml, P < 0.05) and MDA ([0.70 +/- 0.20] nmol/ml, P < 0.05), but remarkably increased level of T-AOC ([1.44 +/- 0.26] U/ml, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Electro-acupuncture at Sanyin points can protect the prostate tissue from morphological damage and reduce inflammatory reaction by decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine activity, vascular permeability and inflammatory cell infiltration and increasing the activity of the antioxidant defense system.