Aquapunctureis a modified acupuncture technique and it is generally accepted that it has a greater therapeutic effect than acupuncture because of the combination of the acupoint stimulation and the pharmacological effect of the drugs. However, to date, the mechanisms underlying the effects ofaquapunctureremain unclear. We hypothesized that both the change in the local spatial configuration and the substrate stimulation ofaquapuncturewould activate neuronal signaling. Thus, bee venom, normal saline, and vitamins B1 and B12 were injected into a Zusanli (ST36) acupoint as substrate ofaquapuncture, whereas a dry needle was inserted into ST36 as a control. Afteraquapuncture, activated neurons expressing Fos protein were mainly observed in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord in lumbar segments L3–5, with the distribution nearly identical among all groups. However, the bee venom injection induced significantly more Fos‐expressing neurons than the other substrates. Based on these data, we suggest that changes in the spatial configuration of the acupoint activate neuronal signaling and that bee venom may further strengthen this neuronal activity. In conclusion, the mechanisms for the effects ofaquapunctureappear to be the spatial configuration changes occurring within the acupoint and the ability of injected substrates to stimulate neuronal activity.

Background and Aim: The flavonoids from mistletoe are thought to have antimicrobial action. This encouraging finding supports the benefits of medicinal plants as a substitute for synthetic antimicrobials, thus promoting healthy lifestyles. In contrast, it is known that the use of topical drug formulations made from flavonoids of mistletoe (Dendrophthoe pentandra (L.) Miq. Loranthaceae) with Indonesian name, Benalu duku (BD) is required in skin cell irritation. This study aimed to assess the toxic effects of the flavonoid substances of BD, as an initial screening. Materials and Methods: A myeloma cell line was cultured in Roswell Park Memorial Institute medium, and the Baby Hamster Kidney clone 12 (BHK21) cell line was cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium from stock (±9 × 107 cells/mL), and 1.2 mL of culture were distributed into each well of a microtiter plate. Subsequently, 0.2 mL of serially diluted flavonoid compounds (0.5–3 μg/mL) were added to 12 wells for each concentration, as trial groups (including control groups), followed by a 2-day incubation. Observations were performed based on the cytopathic effect (CPE) using an inverted microscope at a magnification of 100×. Results: Cytopathic effect was detected on the microtiter plate wells for the groups of myeloma and BHK21 cells at a flavonoid concentration of 0.5 μg/mL–3 μg/mL. Conclusion: Flavonoid compounds from BD were safely used for topical treatment of cancer cells at a concentration <2.491 μg/mL, whereas for non-cancerous cells, a concentration <2.582 μg/mL was sufficient (p < 0.05).

The active compounds from the leaves of Dendrophthoe pentandra L. Miq., also known as, Benalu Duku (in Indonesia), are known to contain progesterone-like compounds (PLCs). This study aims to determine the effect of giving a single dose of PLCs on liver and kidney function in rats and the dose limit that causes the death of experimental animals. The PLCs were analyzed for chemical and physical characterization and compared to a pure standard of progesterone using HPLC, IR spectrometry, thermogravimetry, and NMR. The research was carried out in two sections. In section one, thirty-five healthy adult male rats were divided into six experimental groups and a control group of five rats each. The groups received, respectively, 50 to 75mg/kg of PLCs (i.p.). The control group was given a 0.5mL Aqua Pro injection. Alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen were assessed using the clinical chemistry of blood serum analysis. Cell disruptions were analyzed to determine the degeneration effects of PLCs on the liver and kidney in the experimental and control groups. In section two, thirty healthy adult male rats were divided into 6 groups, each group of 5 rats, and injected with PLCs at a dose of 0.92.1g/kg BW, followed by a lethal dose test. The control groups were available for 5 individual rats at 0g/kg BW of PLCs. Our findings indicated that PLCs have a similarity chemical and physical characterized each other compounds, then the following administration of 50 to 75mg/kg of PLCs did not affect the parameters of clinical chemistry. Histopathology analysis of the liver and kidney revealed normal subcellular levels in the experimental group, with the nonlethal dose at 0.9g/kg BW.

Cordyceps sinensis (CS), an Ascomycetes fungus parasitic to Lepidoptera larvae, has been traditionally used as nutritious food for the enhancement in immuno-modulation in Chinese society for a long time. Previous report has demonstrated the CS water extract stimulates in vitro corticosterone production in rat primary adrenal cells. In the present studies, we determined the in vivo effects of CS and its fractions on plasma corticosterone production in mouse. Different concentrations of CS and CS fractions dissolved in water (0.02 and 0.2 mg/g body weight) were fed to immature and mature mice from 1, 3 or 7 d. The plasma levels of corticosterone were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA), and the weight of adrenal gland and body weight were also evaluated. Results illustrated that plasma corticosterone levels were significantly induced by F2 at 0.02 mg/g body weight with 7 d feeding in immature mice, and by CS at 0.02 mg/g body weight with 3 d feeding and F3 at 0.02 mg/g body weight for 7 d feeding in mature mice, respectively (p<0.05). There were no differences of adrenal gland weight except there was significant stimulation by CS at 0.2 mg/g body weight with 3 d feeding in mature mice (p<0.05) and there were significant inhibitions by both dosages of F3 for 3 d feeding in immature mice and F2 for 7 d feeding in mature mice (p<0.05), respectively. Concerning body weight, the stimulatory effects were observed with CS feeding at 0.2 mg/g body weight for 7 d and F3 feeding at 0.02 mg/g body weight for 3 and 7 d in mature mice. Whereas, the inhibitory effect were observed in F2 feeding at 0.2 mg/g body weight for 7 d in immature mice and at both dosages for 7 d in mature mice, respectively. Taken together, these studies illustrate that CS and its fractions stimulated mouse in vivo corticosterone production. However, CS and its fractions didn't have constant stimulatory or inhibitory effects on the weights of body and adrenal glands.

Sciatic nerve entrapment can occur as post-operative complication of perineal hernia repair when sacrotuberous ligament is incorporated during hernia deficit closure. This results in sciatic sensory loss and paralysis of the hind leg. This study investigated the spatial relationship of sciatic nerve and sacrotuberous ligament and their surface topographic projection of 68 cadavers (29 Beagles and 39 Taiwanese mongrels) with various heights (25–56 cm). By gross dissection, the sacrotuberous ligament and sciatic nerve were exposed and their distance in between was measured along four parts (A, B, C, D) of sacrotuberous ligament. The present study revealed that the C was the section of sacrotuberous ligament where the sciatic nerve and the sacrotuberous ligament are closest to each other. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between C and height of the dogs. From the present study, we found that the C in smaller dogs has the shortest distance between the sciatic nerve and the sacrotuberous ligament, and thus the most vulnerable to sciatic nerve entrapment, and needs to be avoided or approached cautiously during perineal hernia repair.

Migraines are common headache disorders and risk factors for subsequent strokes. Acupuncture has been widely used in the treatment of migraines; however, few studies have examined whether its use reduces the risk of strokes in migraineurs. This study explored the long-term effects of acupuncture treatment on stroke risk in migraineurs using national real-world data. We collected new migraine patients from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2017. Using 1:1 propensity-score matching, we assigned patients to either an acupuncture or non-acupuncture cohort and followed up until the end of 2018. The incidence of stroke in the two cohorts was compared using the Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Each cohort was composed of 1354 newly diagnosed migraineurs with similar baseline characteristics. Compared with the non-acupuncture cohort, the acupuncture cohort had a significantly reduced risk of stroke (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.35–0.46). The Kaplan–Meier model showed a significantly lower cumulative incidence of stroke in migraine patients who received acupuncture during the 19-year follow-up (log-rank test, p < 0.001). Acupuncture confers protective benefits on migraineurs by reducing the risk of stroke. Our results provide new insights for clinicians and public health experts.