scholarly journals The Influence of Stomach Back-Shu and Front-Mu Points on Insular Functional Connectivity in Functional Dyspepsia Rat Models

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Yuan Chen ◽  
Ying Zhao ◽  
Robert Yu-Sheng Tan ◽  
Pu-yue Zhang ◽  
Tao Long ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Functional Dyspepsia ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Hypothalamic Nucleus ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Limbic Cortex ◽  
Model Group ◽  
Rat Models ◽  
Functional Connections

Functional Dyspepsia (FD) is a common functional gastrointestinal disease, which can reduce the quality of life in patients. Prior research has indicated that insula is closely related to FD and that acupuncture can regulate the functional connectivity (FC) of FD. Therefore, we hypothesized that acupuncture on FD was effected through the insular pathway. To test our hypothesis, we performed electroacupuncture (EA) on FD rat models and then examined the FC between insula and other brain regions through resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Seven-day-old male infant Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control group, FD model group, and FD acupuncture group, with twelve rats per group (n = 36). Upon establishing successful models, the FD acupuncture group was subjected to EA intervention using Stomach back-shu (BL-21) and front-mu (RN-12) points for ten consecutive days for durations of 20 minutes each day. After intervention, each group was subject to rs-fMRI. The digital image data obtained were analyzed using FC analysis methods. Subsequently, gastric ligation was performed to measure gastric emptying rates. Before EA intervention, the FD model group exhibited decreased functional connections between the insula and a number of brain regions. After EA intervention, FD acupuncture group exhibited increasing FC between insula and regions when compared to the FD model group, such as the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), hippocampal CA3 (CA3), polymorphic layer of dentate gyrus (PoDG), caudate putamen (CPu), and oral pontine reticular nuclei (PnO) P < 0.05 ; decreasing FC was also exhibited between insula and regions such as the bilateral primary and secondary motor cortexes (M1/2), paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVA), and limbic cortex (LC). These findings indicate that the effective treatment of FD using EA may be through regulating the abnormal FC between insula and several brain regions, in particular CA3, PoDG, and PVA.

scholarly journals Functional Disconnection of the Angular Gyrus Related to Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Qi ◽  
Dongsheng Zhang ◽  
Jie Gao ◽  
Min Tang ◽  
Man Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Functional Connections

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is related to a variety of cognitive impairments that may even progress to dementia. Studies have found the angular gyrus (AG) is a cross-modal integration hub that is involved in a variety of cognitive processes. However, few studies have focused on the patterns of resting-state functional connections (rsFCs) of the AG in patients with T2DM. This study explored the functional connection (FC) between the AG and the whole brain and the relationship between the FC and clinical/cognitive variables in patients with T2DM. 44 patients with T2DM and 43 sex-, age-, and education-matched healthy controls underwent resting-state fMRI and received neuropsychological assessments. Compared with the control group, the T2DM group showed abnormal rsFCs between the AG and multiple brain regions. The FC between the left AG and the left medial temporal lobe in the T2DM group was positively correlated with scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, after a Bonferroni correction (r = 0.40, P = 0.009). Collectively, patients with T2DM have abnormal FCs between the AG and extensive brain regions that may be related to various cognitive processes.

scholarly journals Protective effects of emodin on lung injuries in rat models of liver fibrosis

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 611-618
Author(s):  
Lili Zhang ◽  
Huiying Zhang ◽  
Limin Wang ◽  
Yimin Fan ◽  
Cuiying Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liver Fibrosis ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Model Group ◽  
Lung Weight ◽  
Rat Models ◽  
Tnf Α ◽  
Lung Injuries ◽  
Weight Coefficients

AbstractObjectiveThe aim of this study is to investigate the protective effects of emodin (EMD) on the lung injuries in the rat models of liver fibrosis.MethodsLiver fibrosis was established in rats and the effect of intervention using EMD treatment was determined. Liver and lung weight coefficients were measured and lung content of TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor α), MDA (malondialdehyde), NO (nitric oxide), and ONOO- (peroxynitrite) were determined. Finally, histopathological changes were evaluated.ResultsCompared with the normal control group, the lung weight coefficient was significantly increased in the fibrosis model group. Moreover, pulmonary edema and inflammatory responses were observed. Levels of TNF-α, MDA, NO, and ONOO- in the lung homogenate were significantly increased in the fibrosis model group. After EMD treatment, the lung weight coefficients were significantly reduced. Moreover, pathological changes in the lung tissue were dramatically alleviated. Levels of TNF-α, MDA, NO, and ONOO- were significantly decreased.ConclusionEMD exhibits protective effects against lung injuries in a rat model of liver fibrosis.

scholarly journals Yan-Hou-Qing formula attenuates ammonia-induced acute pharyngitis in rats via inhibition of NF-κB and COX-2

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Xu ◽  
Tian-Yong Hu ◽  
Dong-Cai Li ◽  
Li Ma ◽  
Hua Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inflammatory Cells ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Model Group ◽  
Rat Models ◽  
Acute Pharyngitis ◽  
Histopathologic Study ◽  
Tnf Α ◽  
Protein Expressions ◽  
Cox 2

Abstract Background Yan Hou Qing (YHQ) is a Chinese medicinal formula designed to alleviate sore throat symptoms, but underlying mechanism of YHQ treatment for pharyngitis is poorly defined up to now. Methods In this study, the modulation of YHQ on pharyngitis is investigated in ammonia-induced acute pharyngitis rat models. After treatment with YHQ or dexamethasone respectively for five consecutive days, all rats were sacrificed for biomolecular and histopathologic study. Protein expressions of MAPKs, NF-κB, COX-2 and 5-LOX in pharyngitis tissue were evaluated by western blot analysis and the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, prostaglandin (PG) E2, leukotrienes (LT)-B4 and LT-D4 in pharyngeal tissue were measured via ELISA assay. Evans blue (EB) dye exudation test was performed parallelly to assess the integrity of pharyngeal tissue. Results Compared with normal control group, EB dye exudation, and inflammatory cytokines in the model group were significantly increased, and the pharynx tissue was obviously infiltrated by inflammatory cells. YHQ treatment improved the inflammatory infiltrate in pharyngeal tissue, and reduced EB dye exudation in AP rat models. The up-regulated TNF-α and IL-6 in pharyngeal tissue of AP were significantly reduced by YHQ through inhibition of phosphorylation of p38, Erk and NF-κB. YHQ treatment also reversed the increased level of PGE2 through down-regulation of COX-2. Conclusions YHQ formula attenuated the pharyngitis related symptoms via suppression of COX-2 and phosphorylation of p38, Erk and NF-κB (p65).

scholarly journals The Roles of Skin Fibroblasts at Local Acupoints in Chrono-Acupuncture

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Nannan Liu ◽  
Zhengyu Zhao ◽  
Qizhi Zhou ◽  
Xiaohong Zhang ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acupuncture Treatment ◽  
Treatment Time ◽  
Subcutaneous Tissue ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Model Group ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Group A ◽  
And Control ◽  
Time Point

Objective. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the peripheral mechanisms of chrono-acupuncture by observing acupuncture at different time points affecting relative proteins to regulate the cytoskeleton of fibroblasts differently. Methods. A total of 108 male SD rats (180–220 g) that have basic pain threshold within 3–10 s were selected and randomly divided into group A (n = 72) and control group (n = 36). After the succession of modeling with CFA injection, the rats in group A were randomly divided into model group and acupuncture group, each group containing 36 rats. Then according to the different treatment time, each group was randomly classified into 6 subgroups (ZT0, ZT4, ZT8, ZT12, ZT16, and ZT20), each subgroup containing 6 rats (n = 6). On the second day of successful modeling, the rats in the acupuncture group received acupuncture treatment at the corresponding time point, while the control group and the model group were only tied up at the corresponding time point without any treatments. Methods of operation: use 0.5-inch needles, puncture the rats’ “Zusanli” on the affected limb, with Twirling manipulation for a minute after every five minutes; the treatment lasts thirty minutes in total. After 7 days of treatments, the skin and subcutaneous tissue of rats’ acupoint area of “Zusanli” on the affected limb were taken and then stained by immunofluorescence double staining method to observe the expression of the fibroblast cytoskeleton F-actin and β-tubulin under the LSCM while using western blot to observe the expression of P38MAPK/P-P38MAPK. Results. The expression of the cytoskeleton F-actin and β-tubulin at acupoint area in the acupuncture group was significantly higher than that in the control and model group. The effect of acupuncture on the restructure of the fibroblast cytoskeleton is different at different time points, the most effective time point was at ZT12 while the least at ZT16. Acupuncture can decrease the high expression of P-P38MAPK/P38MAPK in the model group, and the effect has time differences. The expression of P-P38MAPK/P38MAPK increased more significantly at ZT16 than ZT12. Conclusion. The remodeling difference of fibroblast cytoskeleton after receiving acupuncture treatment could be one of the peripheral bases of the chrono-acupuncture.

scholarly journals Effect of Warm Acupuncture on “Dinghui Acupoint” and “Heart Acupoint” in Traditional Mongolian Medicine on Behaviors and Hypothalamic Inammatory Cytokines in Rats with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Shumei Bai ◽  
Ling Shui ◽  
Qin Si ◽  
Yingsong Chen
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Normal Group ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Model Group ◽  
Moxibustion Group ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Traditional Mongolian Medicine

Objective: To observe the effects of warm acupuncture on “Dinghui Acupoint” and “Heart Acupoint” in Traditional Mongolian Medicine on behavior and hypothalamic inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and IFN-r in Rats with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Methods: SD rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, warm acupuncture group and moxibustion positive control group. The latter three groups of rats were used to establish a model of rats with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) using a combination of physical fatigue and mental fatigue. When establishing the model of warm acupuncture group, “Dinghui Acupoint” and “Heart Acupoint” intervention was carried out; when establishing the model of moxibustion positive control group, “Zusanli Acupoint” intervention was carried out on both sides. Behavioral observations (body weight, exhaustive swimming time, tail suspension experiment, water maze) were performed before and after modeling. The hypothalamic inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and IFN-r were detected by ELISA method after warm acupuncture and moxibustion intervention. Results: After 21 days of modeling, the body weight of the rats in each group was significantly lower than that in the normal group, and there was a significant difference (P<0.01); Compared with the model group, the weight of the rats in the warm acupuncture group increased significantly, and there was a significant difference (P<0.01); Compared with the model group, the exhaustive swimming time of the rats in the warm acupuncture group was significantly prolonged, and there was a significant difference (P<0.01); Compared with the moxibustion group, the exhaustion time of the rats in the warm acupuncture group was relatively prolonged, and there was a significant difference (P<0.05); Compared with the normal group, the tail suspension time of the model group was significantly prolonged, and there was a significant difference (P<0.05); Compared with the model group, there was a significant difference in the duration of the suspension of the warm acupuncture group and the moxibustion group (P<0.01); Compared with the normal group, the total distance of the water maze test was shorter in the model group, and there was a significant difference (P<0.01); Compared with the model group, both the warm acupuncture group and the moxibustion group were prolonged, and there was a significant difference (P<0.05); Compared with the moxibustion group, the distance between the rats in the warm acupuncture group was relatively longer, but there was no significant difference (P>0.05); Compared with the normal group, IL-1β, IL-6 and IFN-r increased significantly in the model group and there was a significant difference (P<0.05); Compared with the model group, IL-1β and IL-6 in the warm acupuncture group was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the IL-6 in the moxibustion group was significantly different (P<0.05); Compared with the model group, there was no significant difference between the IFN-r group and the moxibustion group (P>0.05); Compared with the moxibustion group, the levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and IFN-r were not significantly different (P>0.05). Conclusion: Warm acupuncture on “Dinghui Acupoint” and “Heart Acupoint” in Traditional Mongolian Medicine has the ability to improve the body’s defense and self-healing ability, improve chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and thus play a preventive role. The results of this research indicate that the warm acupuncture group and the moxibustion group have the same effect.

scholarly journals Multimodal Classification of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Reveals Local Coupling Between Structural and Functional Connectomes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajay Peddada ◽  
Kevin Holly ◽  
Tejaswi D Sudhakar ◽  
Christina Ledbetter ◽  
Christopher E. Talbot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Classification Accuracy ◽  
Structural Connectivity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Functional Connections ◽  
White Matter Tractography

Background: Following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) compromised white matter structural integrity can result in alterations in functional connectivity of large-scale brain networks and may manifest in functional deficit including cognitive dysfunction . Advanced magnetic resonance neuroimaging techniques, specifically diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), have demonstrated an increased sensitivity for detecting microstructural changes associated with mTBI. Identification of novel imaging biomarkers can facilitate early detection of these changes for effective treatment. In this study, we hypothesize that feature selection combining both structural and functional connectivity increases classification accuracy. Methods: 16 subjects with mTBI and 20 healthy controls underwent both DTI and resting state functional imaging. Structural connectivity matrices were generated from white matter tractography from DTI sequences. Functional connectivity was measured through pairwise correlations of rs-fMRI between brain regions. Features from both DTI and rs-fMRI were selected by identifying five brain regions with the largest group differences and were used to classify the generated functional and structural connectivity matrices, respectively. Classification was performed using linear support vector machines and validated with leave-one-out cross validation. Results: Group comparisons revealed increased functional connectivity in the temporal lobe and cerebellum as well as decreased structural connectivity in the temporal lobe. After training on structural connections only, a maximum classification accuracy of 78% was achieved when structural connections were selected based on their corresponding functional connectivity group differences. After training on functional connections only, a maximum classification accuracy of 69% was achieved when functional connections were selected based on their structural connectivity group differences. After training on both structural and functional connections, a maximum classification accuracy of 69% was achieved when connections were selected based on their structural connectivity. Conclusions: Our multimodal approach to ROI selection achieves at highest, a classification accuracy of 78%. Our results also implicate the temporal lobe in the pathophysiology of mTBI. Our findings suggest that white matter tractography can serve as a robust biomarker for mTBI when used in tandem with resting state functional connectivity.

scholarly journals The Influence of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback on Cardiac Regulation and Functional Brain Connectivity

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Schumann ◽  
Feliberto de la Cruz ◽  
Stefanie Köhler ◽  
Lisa Brotte ◽  
Karl-Jürgen Bär
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Brain Connectivity ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Functional Brain ◽  
Middle Cingulate Cortex

BackgroundHeart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback has a beneficial impact on perceived stress and emotion regulation. However, its impact on brain function is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of an 8-week HRV-biofeedback intervention on functional brain connectivity in healthy subjects.MethodsHRV biofeedback was carried out in five sessions per week, including four at home and one in our lab. A control group played jump‘n’run games instead of the training. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted before and after the intervention in both groups. To compute resting state functional connectivity (RSFC), we defined regions of interest in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) and a total of 260 independent anatomical regions for network-based analysis. Changes of RSFC of the VMPFC to other brain regions were compared between groups. Temporal changes of HRV during the resting state recording were correlated to dynamic functional connectivity of the VMPFC.ResultsFirst, we corroborated the role of the VMPFC in cardiac autonomic regulation. We found that temporal changes of HRV were correlated to dynamic changes of prefrontal connectivity, especially to the middle cingulate cortex, the left insula, supplementary motor area, dorsal and ventral lateral prefrontal regions. The biofeedback group showed a drop in heart rate by 5.2 beats/min and an increased SDNN as a measure of HRV by 8.6 ms (18%) after the intervention. Functional connectivity of the VMPFC increased mainly to the insula, the amygdala, the middle cingulate cortex, and lateral prefrontal regions after biofeedback intervention when compared to changes in the control group. Network-based statistic showed that biofeedback had an influence on a broad functional network of brain regions.ConclusionOur results show that increased heart rate variability induced by HRV-biofeedback is accompanied by changes in functional brain connectivity during resting state.

scholarly journals Migraine in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Affects Functional Connectivity of the Brain Circuitry Involved in Pain Processing

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuele Pravatà ◽  
Gianna C. Riccitelli ◽  
Carlo Sestieri ◽  
Rosaria Sacco ◽  
Alessandro Cianfoni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Pain Perception ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Brain Circuitry ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis Patients ◽  
The Brain

Migraine is particularly common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and has been linked to the dysfunction of the brain circuitry modulating the peripheral nociceptive stimuli. Using MRI, we explored whether changes in the resting state-functional connectivity (RS-FC) may characterize the occurrence of migraine in patients with MS. The RS-FC characteristics in concerned brain regions were explored in 20 MS patients with migraine (MS+M) during the interictal phase, and compared with 19 MS patients without migraine (MS-M), which served as a control group. Functional differences were correlated to the frequency and severity of previous migraine attacks, and with the resulting impact on daily activities. In MS+M, the loss of periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) positive connectivity with the default mode network and the left posterior cranial pons was associated with an increase of migraine attacks frequency. In contrast, the loss of PAG negative connectivity with sensorimotor and visual network was linked to migraine symptom severity and related daily activities impact. Finally, a PAG negative connection was established with the prefrontal executive control network. Migraine in MS+M patients and its impact on daily activities, underlies RS-FC rearrangements between brain regions involved in pain perception and modulation.

scholarly journals An Investigation of Descending Pain Modulation in Women With Provoked Vestibulodynia (PVD): Alterations of Spinal Cord and Brainstem Connectivity

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey R. Yessick ◽  
Caroline F. Pukall ◽  
Gabriela Ioachim ◽  
Susan M. Chamberlain ◽  
Patrick W. Stroman
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Pain Modulation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Pain Processing ◽  
Provoked Vestibulodynia ◽  
Fmri Session

The most common subtype of vulvodynia (idiopathic chronic vulvar pain) is provoked vestibulodynia (PVD). Previous imaging studies have shown that women with vulvodynia exhibit increased neural activity in pain-related brain regions (e.g., the secondary somatosensory cortex, insula, dorsal midcingulate, posterior cingulate, and thalamus). However, despite the recognized role of the spinal cord/brainstem in pain modulation, no previous neuroimaging studies of vulvodynia have examined the spinal cord/brainstem. Sixteen women with PVD and sixteen matched Control women underwent a spinal cord/brainstem functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) session consisting of five runs with no painful thermal stimuli (No Pain), interleaved randomly with five runs with calibrated, moderately painful heat stimulation (Pain). Functional connectivity was also assessed in periods before, during, and after, pain stimulation to investigate dynamic variations in pain processing throughout the stimulation paradigm. Functional connectivity in the brainstem and spinal cord for each group was examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) for both Pain and No Pain conditions. Significant connectivity differences during stimulation were identified between PVD and Control groups within pain modulatory regions. Comparisons of Pain and No Pain conditions identified a larger number of connections in the Control group than in the PVD group, both before and during stimulation. The results suggest that women with PVD exhibit altered pain processing and indicate an insufficient response of the pain modulation system. This study is the first to examine the spinal cord/brainstem functional connectivity in women with PVD, and it demonstrates altered connectivity related to pain modulation in the spinal cord/brainstem.

scholarly journals Functional connectivity predicts the dispositional use of expressive suppression but not cognitive reappraisal

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy A. Burr ◽  
Tracy d'Arbeloff ◽  
Maxwell Elliott ◽  
Annchen R. Knodt ◽  
Bartholomew D. Brigidi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Brain Connectivity ◽  
Cognitive Reappraisal ◽  
Predictive Performance ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Expressive Suppression ◽  
Whole Brain ◽  
Functional Connections ◽  
Neural Signature

Previous research has identified specific brain regions associated with regulating emotion using common strategies such as expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal. However, most research focuses on a priori regions and directs participants how to regulate, which may not reflect how people naturally regulate outside the laboratory. Here, we used a data-driven approach to investigate how individual differences in distributed intrinsic functional brain connectivity predict emotion regulation tendency. Specifically, we used connectome-based predictive modeling to extract functional connections in the brain significantly related to the dispositional use of suppression and reappraisal. These edges were then used in a predictive model and cross-validated in novel participants to identify a neural signature that reflects individual differences in the tendency to suppress and reappraise emotion. We found a significant neural signature for the dispositional use of suppression, but not reappraisal. Within this whole-brain signature, the intrinsic connectivity of the default mode network was most informative of suppression tendency. In addition, the predictive performance of this model was significant in males, but not females. These findings help inform how whole-brain networks of functional connectivity characterize how people tend to regulate emotion outside the laboratory.

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