5 research outputs found
Research on Roles of Mongolian Medical Warm Acupuncture in Inhibiting p38 MAPK Activation and Apoptosis of Nucleus Pulposus Cells
Background. Mongolian medical warm acupuncture has a desirable therapeutic effect on sciatica. Apoptosis of the nucleus pulposus cells is considered to play an important role in sciatica. Evidence has demonstrated that oxidative stress and its induced activation of the signaling pathways play important roles in sciatica. However, further research is expected to reveal whether Mongolian medical warm acupuncture can inhibit the apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells and oxidative stress. Objective. To study the effect of the p38 MAPK pathway activated by the generated ROS on apoptosis and the expression of the genes related to the balance of the extracellular matrix metabolism during treatment of sciatica with Mongolian medical warm acupuncture. Method. The volume of the active oxygen generated in the nucleus pulposus cells was detected following intervention of Mongolian medical warm acupuncture. The p38 MAPK phosphorylation level was detected with Western blot. The genes are related to the metabolism of the nucleus pulposus extracellular matrix. Result. Mongolian medical warm acupuncture reduced the active oxygen within the nucleus pulposus cells and inhibited the activation of the p38 MAPK pathway (P=0.013). Meanwhile, it upregulated the gene expression of Type II collagen, aggrecan, Sox-9, and tissue matrix metalloproteinase reagent 1 (P-0.015; P=0.025; P=0.031; P=0.045) and downregulated the gene expression of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (P=0.015). Conclusion. Mongolian medical warm acupuncture may inhibit apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells and activation of the extracellular matrix decomposition metabolism pathway and promote its anabolism. This process may rely on the oxidative stress matrix of the p38 MAPK pathway
Clinical Trial Research on Mongolian Medical Warm Acupuncture in Treating Insomnia
Objective. Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders. Hypnotics have poor long-term efficacy. Mongolian medical warm acupuncture has significant efficacy in treating insomnia. The paper evaluates the role of Mongolian medical warm acupuncture in treating insomnia by investigating the Mongolian medicine syndromes and conditions, Pittsburgh sleep quality index, and polysomnography indexes. Method. The patients were diagnosed in accordance with International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD-2). The insomnia patients were divided into the acupuncture group (40 cases) and the estazolam group (40 cases). The patients underwent intervention of Mongolian medical warm acupuncture and estazolam. The indicators of the Mongolian medicine syndromes and conditions, Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and polysomnography indexes (PSG) have been detected. Result. Based on the comparison of the Mongolian medicine syndrome scores between the warm acupuncture group and the drug treatment group, the result indicated P<0.01. The clinical efficacy result showed that the effective rate (85%) in the warm acupuncture group was higher than that (70%) in the drug group. The total scores of PSQI of both groups were approximated. The sleep quality indexes of both groups decreased significantly (P<0.05). The sleep quality index in the Mongolian medical warm acupuncture group decreased significantly (P<0.01) and was better than that in the estazolam group. The sleep efficiency and daytime functions of the patients in the Mongolian medical warm acupuncture group improved significantly (P<0.01). The sleep time was significantly extended (P<0.01) in the Mongolian medical warm acupuncture group following PSG intervention. The sleep time during NREM in the Mongolian warm acupuncture group increased significantly (P<0.01). The sleep time exhibited a decreasing trend during REM and it decreased significantly in the Mongolian warm acupuncture group (P<0.01). The percentage of sleep time in the total sleep time during NREM3+4 in the Mongolian medical warm acupuncture group increased significantly. Conclusion. Mongolian medical warm acupuncture is efficient and safe in treating insomnia. It is able to better improve the patients’ sleep time and daytime functions. It is better than that in the estazolam group following drug withdrawal in terms of improving the sleep time. It is more effective in helping the insomnia patients than hypnotics