Moxibustion Attenuates Inflammatory Response to Chronic Exhaustive
Exercise in Rats
Lu J, et al. College of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tui Na, Beijing
University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Exercise is recognized as an activator to elicit an inflammatory response whilst moxibustion in traditional Chinese medicine has been previously found to modulate immune functioning. However, whether moxibustion can alleviate the inflammatory cytokines response to chronic exhaustive exercise remains unknown. In the present study, rats were randomly assigned to a sedentary control group (Sed), a sedentary moxibustion group (Sed + Moxa), and 2 trained groups- one submitted to a 3-week exhaustive swimming (Trained), and the other a trained moxibustion group (Trained + Moxa). We found that chronic exhaustive exercise significantly increased the serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ) and the IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio, and decreased the anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10). Moxibustion treatment markedly reduced the serum levels of IL-1β, IFN-γ and the IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio, while elevated the IL-4 and IL-10 productions in trained rats. However, TNF-α level was not significantly affected. Our results suggested that an excessive inflammatory response and a potential inflammatory damage may be involved during chronic exhaustive exercise. Moxibustion could attenuate the inflammatory impairment and have an anti-inflammatory effect. The beneficial effects of moxibustion might be mediated by reducing the pro-inflammatory cytokines, increasing the anti-inflammatory cytokines, and
modulating the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines.
Int J Sports Med.2012 Apr 17.
Source: PubMed
[TOP]
Brain Correlates of Phasic Autonomic Response to Acupuncture Stimulation
Napadow V, et al. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology,
Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts; Department of Radiology, Logan College of
Chiropractic, Chesterfield, Missouri. vitaly@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu.
Autonomic nervous system (ANS) response to acupuncture has been investigated by multiple studies; however, the brain circuitry underlying this response is not well understood. We applied event-related fMRI (er-fMRI) in conjunction with ANS recording (heart rate, HR; skin conductance response, SCR). Brief manual acupuncture stimuli were delivered at acupoints ST36 and SP9, while sham stimuli were delivered at control location, SH1. Acupuncture produced activation in S2, insula, and mid-cingulate cortex, and deactivation in default mode network (DMN) areas. On average, HR deceleration (HR-) and SCR were noted following both real and sham acupuncture, though magnitude of response was greater following real acupuncture and inter-subject magnitude of response correlated with evoked sensation intensity. Acupuncture events with strong SCR also produced greater anterior insula activation than without SCR. Moreover, acupuncture at SP9, which produced greater SCR, also produced stronger sharp pain sensation, and greater anterior insula activation. Conversely, acupuncture-induced HR- was associated with greater DMN deactivation. Between-event correlation demonstrated that this association was strongest for ST36, which also produced more robust HR-. In fact, DMN deactivation was significantly more pronounced across acupuncture stimuli producing HR-, versus those events characterized by acceleration (HR+). Thus, differential brain response underlying acupuncture stimuli may be related to differential autonomic outflows and may result from heterogeneity in evoked sensations. Our er-fMRI approach suggests that ANS response to acupuncture, consistent with previously characterized orienting and startle/defense responses, arises from activity within distinct subregions of the
more general brain circuitry responding to acupuncture stimuli.
Hum Brain Mapp.2012 Apr 14. doi: 10.1002/hbm.22091.
Source: PubMed
[TOP]
Anti-Inflammatory Activities of a Chinese Herbal Formula IBS-20 In Vitro and
In Vivo
Yang Z, et al. Department of Medicine and Mucosal Biology Research Center,
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional bowel disorder and the etiology is not well understood. Currently there is no cure for IBS and no existing medication induces symptom relief in all patients. IBS-20 is a 20-herb Chinese medicinal formula that offers beneficial effects in patients with IBS; however, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. IBS-20 is a Chinese medicinal formula containing 20 herbs that was developed from two traditional ancient Chinese herbal formulations known as Tong Xie Yao Fang (Important Prescription for Abdominal Pain and Diarrhea) and Zhong Man Fen Xiao Wan (Separate and Reduce Fullness in the Middle). This study showed that IBS-20 potently inhibited LPS- or IFNΓ-stimulated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as classically activated macrophage marker nitric oxide synthase 2. Similarly, IBS-20 or the component herb Coptis chinensis decreased LPS-stimulated pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion from JAWS II dendritic cells. IBS-20 or the component herbs also blocked or attenuated the IFNΓ-induced drop in transepithelial electric resistance, an index of permeability, in fully differentiated Caco-2 monolayer. Finally, the up-regulation of key inflammatory cytokines in inflamed colon from TNBS-treated mice was suppressed significantly by orally administrated IBS-20, including IFNΓ and IL-12p40. These data indicate that the anti-inflammatory activities of IBS-20 may contribute to the beneficial effects of the herbal extract in patients with IBS, providing a potential mechanism of action for IBS-20. In addition, IBS-20 may be a potential therapeutic agent against other
Th1-dominant gut pathologies such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:491496. Epub 2012 Feb 22.
Source: PubMed
[TOP]
|
