Am J Chinese Med
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Gastric emptying effect of the aqueous extract of xiao-ban-xia-tang (XBXT) was investigated in mice. Mice with food deprived for 18 hours were orally administered a certain amount of test meal (ca. 0.8 g) equaling 0.8 ml in volume. The percentage of 0.8 g test meal remaining in the stomach after 20 minutes was estimated. ⋯ It also significantly restored metoclopramide-induced (8 mg/kg, p.o.) propulsion and potentiated methylneostigmine-induced (2 mg/kg, p.o.) gastric emptying enhancement. The aqueous extract of Pinellia ternata, but not that of Zingiber officinale showed an inhibitory activity on gastric emptying. The present results suggest that XBXT possesses a regulative effect on gastric motility.
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We evaluated the effect of bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang, a prescription of traditional Oriental medicine, and its major ingredients on protection of the intestine and hematopoietic organs against radiation damage in this study. The jejunal crypt survival, endogenous spleen colony formation, and apoptosis in jejunal crypt cells were investigated in mice irradiated with high and low doses of gamma-rays. bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang administration before irradiation protected the jejunal crypts (p < 0.0001), increased the formation of the endogenous spleen colony (p < 0.05) and reduced the frequency of radiation-induced apoptosis (p < 0.05). ⋯ Although the mechanisms of this inhibitory effect remain to be elucidated, these results indicated that bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang might be a useful radioprotector, especially since it is a relatively non-toxic natural product. Further studies are needed to better characterize the protective nature of bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang extract and its ingredients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
The analgesic efficacy of bee venom acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis: a comparative study with needle acupuncture.
The aim of this investigation was to determine whether bee venom (BV) administered directly into an acupoint was a clinically effective and safe method for relieving the pain of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) as compared to traditional needle acupuncture. We evaluated the efficacy of BV acupuncture using both pain relief scores and computerized infrared thermography (IRT) following 4 weeks of BV acupuncture treatment. We observed that a significantly higher proportion of subjects receiving BV acupuncture reported substantial pain relief as compared with those receiving traditional needle acupuncture therapy. Furthermore, the IRT score was significantly improved and paralleled the level of pain relief.
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So called primitive peoples of the world share a philosophy that human interaction via ceremony or ritual can affect the natural world. Is it possible to affect the germination and growth of plants by imbuing them with an intent to stimulate or inhibit them? We conducted a double blind series of experiments to determine whether a process of meditation on the water (referred to as "treated") given to a controlled planting of green peas or wheat would affect their germination. Peas were given water treated with stimulating intent. ⋯ During the sixth run of the wheat (inhibition) experiment, the seedlings were harvested and individually weighed on the tenth day after planting to determine whether there was any difference in growth. The mass of the treated seedlings was statistically significantly lower (mean = 97 mg versus 106 mg for the controls) when compared by analysis of variance (p = 0.000056). We conclude that meditation upon the water supplied to green peas and wheat can affect their germination rates and growth.
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The acute toxicity of dried Nerium oleander leaves to Najdi sheep is described in 12 sheep assigned as untreated controls, N. oleander-treated once at 1 and 0.25 g/kg body weight and N. oleander-treated daily at 0.06 g/kg body weight by drench. Single oral doses of 1 or 0.25 g of dried N. oleander leaves/kg body weight caused restlessness, chewing movements of the jaws, dyspnea, ruminal bloat, incoordination of movements, limb paresis, recumbency and death 4-24 hr after dosing. ⋯ The daily oral doses of 0.06 g dried N. oleander leaves/kg body weight caused less severe signs and death occurred between days 3 and 14. In these animals, the main lesions were hepatonephropathy and gelatinization of the renal pelvis and mesentry and were accompanied by significant increases in serum AST and LDH activities, in bilirubin, cholesterol and urea concentrations and significant decreases in total protein and albumin levels, anemia and leucopenia.