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Acupoint is the integration of structure and function. In this paper, the structure and function of acupoint are studied based on energetics. It is viewed that acupoint is the aggregation and release place of energy, acupuncture is the process of applying energy to acupoint, and the variations of speed, direction, time and local temperature are the key factors of acupoint function.

Binding-fixation is the most commonly used method for acupuncture research in rats, but its resulted stronger stress response may affect the experimental outcomes. Hence, we developed a practical fixing device using the abandoned meshy cage covers, bolts, hooks, and loop fasteners. It includes two straps, two ropes, a small jacket with a self-locking Velcro strap and a meshy cage cover with a piece of fixed Velcro which may be placed on a rectangular storage box. Rats can be fixed in a recumbent position or a prone position. Outcomes showed that it is not only convenient and cheaper but also has a higher successful rate of fixation and a longer fixation time for completing an experiment.

Objective: The aim of our study was to evaluate the neuroprotective functions of the combination therapy using methylprednisolone (MP) and tranilast (TR) after spinal cord injury (SCI) in adult rats., Methods: Spinal cord compression injury model was achieved using Yasargil aneurysm clip. Rats were divided into control group, MP group, TR group, and combination therapy group using TR and MP. Rat models were assessed for locomotor functional recovery using Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score, spinal cord water content and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity 24 hours post SCI, haematoxylin and eosin staining and glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) staining at 7 and 14 days post SCI., Results: The spinal cord water content and MPO activity in the combination therapy group was significantly lower than the control group and the individual therapy groups p<0.05. The combination therapy group had significantly higher BBB scores than control group and individual therapy groups (p<0.05). At one week after SCI, GFAP expression in the combination group was significantly lower than the control group (p<0.05) but there was no significant difference compared to the individual therapy groups (p>0.05). At 2 weeks after SCI there was a slight decrease in GFAP expression compared to the first week but the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05), GFAP expression between the groups was not statistically significant p>0.05., Conclusion: Combining MP and TR is therapeutically more effective in improving functional recovery, inhibiting inflammation and glial scar formation after acute SCI.

Aim: To assess the effect of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection on metabolic parameters in Mongolian gerbils., Methods: A total of 40 male, 5- to 8-wk-old, specific-pathogen-free Mongolian gerbils (30-50 g) were randomly allocated into two groups: a control group (n = 20) and an H. pylori group (n = 20). After a two-week acclimation period, the control group was administered Brucella broth and the H. pylori group was challenged intra-gastrically five times every other day with approximately 10(9)/CFU H. pylori ATCC43504 (CagA+, VacA+). Each group was then divided into two subgroups, which were sacrificed at either 6 or 12 mo. The control and H. pylori subgroups each contained 10 Mongolian gerbils. Body weight, abdominal circumference, and body length were measured, and body mass index (BMI) and Lee's index were calculated. Biochemical assays were used to detect serum indexes, including glucose, glycated hemoglobin (GHb), glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), triacylglycerol, and total cholesterol, using an automatic biochemistry analyzer. Inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon (IFN)-γ, were assayed using ELISA. The expression of insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) was detected by immunohistochemistry, and islet apoptosis was measured using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay., Results: At each time point, body weight, abdominal circumference, BMI, and Lee's index were increased after H. pylori infection. However, these differences were not significant. H. pylori infection significantly increased the GHb (5.45 ± 0.53 vs 4.98 ± 0.22, P < 0.05) and HbA1c (4.91 ± 0.61 vs 4.61 ± 0.15, P < 0.05) levels at 12 mo. We observed no significant differences in serum biochemical indexes, including fasting blood glucose, triacylglycerol and total cholesterol, at 6 or 12 mo after infection. H. pylori infection significantly increased the expression of IGF-1 (P < 0.05). Insulin levels from the pancreas and the apoptotic rate of islet β-cells remained unchanged. Also, we observed no significant differences among cytokines levels, including IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-α and IFN-γ. IL-4 was the only exception, which increased at 6 (44.36 ± 25.17 vs 17.38 ± 3.47, P < 0.05) and 12 mo (33.41 ± 10.00 vs 18.91 ± 5.31, P < 0.05) after H. pylori infection., Conclusion: Long-term H. pylori infection is significantly associated with high levels of HbA1c in Mongolian gerbils, indicating a potential role of H. pylori infection in glucose dysregulation.

Aim: To investigate whether Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection contributes to idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) or iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) onset in gerbils., Methods: A total of 135 Mongolian gerbils were randomly divided into two groups: an H. pylori infection group and a control group. Both groups were fed the same diet and the same amount of food. Each group was then divided into three subgroups, which were sacrificed at 6, 12, or 18 mo for analysis. At each time point, arterial blood was collected from the abdominal aorta and a complete blood cell count was analyzed in the clinical laboratory in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University., Results: There were no significant differences in platelet counts (938.00 ± 270.27/L vs 962.95 ± 162.56 × 10(9)/L), red blood cell counts (8.11 ± 1.25/L vs 8.44 ± 1.48 × 10(12)/L), or hemoglobin levels (136.9 ± 8.76 g/L vs 123.21 ± 18.42 g/L) between the control and the H. pylori groups, respectively, at 18 mo. With the exception of the mean corpuscular volume (MCV), all other indicators, including white blood cell counts, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell distribution width, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, lymphocyte count, and lymphocyte count percentage, showed no significant differences between the control and H. pylori infection groups at each time point. The MCV in the H. pylori infection group (52.32 f/L ± 2.86 f/L) was significantly lower than the control group (55.63 ± 1.89 f/L) at 18 mo (P = 0.005), though no significant differences were observed at 6 (54.40 ± 2.44 f/L vs 53.30 ± 1.86 f/L) or 12 mo (53.73 ± 2.31 f/L vs 54.80 ± 3.34 f/L)., Conclusion: A single H. pylori infection is insufficient to cause onset of ITP or IDA and other factors may be required for disease onset.

Aim: To determine the expression of the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) and the Ku70/Ku80 heterodimer (Ku 70/80) in gastric carcinoma., Methods: Gastric biopsies were obtained from 146 gastric carcinoma patients [Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-negative: 89 and H. pylori-positive: 57] and 34 from normal subjects (H. pylori-negative: 16 and H. pylori-positive: 18) via surgery and endoscopic detection from April 2011 to August 2012 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. Pathological diagnosis and classification were made according to the criteria of the World Health Organization and the updated Sydney system. An ''in-house'' rapid urease test and modified Giemsa staining were employed to detect H. pylori infection. The expression of DNA-PKcs and the Ku 70/80 protein was detected by immunohistochemistry., Results: Overall, the positive rates of both DNA-PKcs and Ku 70/80 were significantly increased in gastric cancer (χ(2) = 133.04, P < 0.001 for DNA-PKcs and χ(2) = 13.06, P < 0.01 for Ku) compared with normal gastric mucosa. There was hardly any detectable expression of DNA-PKcs in normal gastric mucosa, and the positive rate of DNA-PKcs protein expression in patients with a normal gastric mucosa was 0% (0/34), whereas the rate in gastric cancer (GC) was 93.8% (137/146). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant. Additionally, the positive rate of Ku 70/80 was 79.4% (27/34) in normal gastric mucosa and 96.6% (141/146) in gastric cancer. The DNA-PKcs protein level was significantly increased in gastric cancer (Mann-Whitney U = 39.00, P < 0.001), compared with normal gastric mucosa. In addition, there was a significant difference in the expression of Ku 70/80 (Mann-Whitney U = 1117.00, P < 0.001) between gastric cancer and normal gastric mucosa. There was also a significant difference in Ku70/80 protein expression between GC patients with and without H. pylori infection (P < 0.05). Spearman analysis showed a negative correlation between tumor differentiation and DNA-PKcs expression (r = -0.447, P < 0.05). Moreover, Ku70/80 expression was negatively correlated with both clinical stage (r = -0.189, P < 0.05) and H. pylori colonization (r = -0.168, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Overall, this research demonstrated that enhanced DNA-PKcs and Ku 70/80 expression may be closely associated with gastric carcinoma.