title: Chinese tuina downregulates the elevated levels of tissue plasminogen activator in sciatic nerve injured Sprague-Dawley rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the mechanism of Chinese tuina in treating sciatic nerve crush injury, and to detect the levels of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), which is thought to play an important role in nerve regeneration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to sciatic nerve crush injury and 16 rats (sham-operated group) went through a sham operation. Control group was given no treatment while tuina group received tuina therapy since day 7 post-surgery. Tuina treatment was performed once a day and lasted for 20 days. The sciatic functional index was examined every 5 days during the treatment session. The rats' gastrocnemius muscles were evaluated for changes in mass and immunohistochemistry techniques were performed to detect the levels of tPA and PAI-1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tuina therapy improved the motor function of sciatic nerve injured rats (P<0.05), however, it did not increase muscle volume (P<0.05). Tuina downregulated the levels of tPA and PAI-1 (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study implies that tuina treatment could accelerate rehabilitation of peripheral nerve injury.
authors.affiliation: Collage of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Collage of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China. yutianyuan@sina.com.
authors.forename: Tian-Yuan
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Collage of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Collage of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Si-Tong
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Xian
authors.affiliation: Collage of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Meng-Qian
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: The 2nd Massage Department, Beijing Massage Hospital, Beijing, 100035, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Cong
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Encephalopathy of Mogol Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia University for the Nationalities, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 028000, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330019, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Qin
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Massage Physiotherapy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Dongfang Hospital, Beijing, 100078, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.affiliation: Collage of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Bin-Bin
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015536:Down-Regulation; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D009132:Muscles / Q000473:pathology; D009409:Nerve Crush; D009929:Organ Size; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator
keywords: Chinese medicine; massage; peripheral neuropathy; physical therapy