The effects of bathing with artificial sodium sulfate on the systolic blood pressure and the level of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in plasma and or in atrium of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were studied. The following results were obtained:
1) As a result of bathing for 20 minutes at a temperature of 37°C, the systolic blood pressure lowered and the plasma ANP level increased. The blood pressure lowered with increasing concentration of sodium sulfate (p<0.01).
2) The plasma ANP level in a standing position for 20 minutes decreased than in a normal position.
3) The plasma ANP level in SHR was higher and increased more clearly by bathing, compared to the previous results in normotensive rats (WKA). The blood pressure lowered far more in SHR than in WKA.
4) The atrial ANP level was not significantly influenced by bathing nor by changing the posture.
These results indicate that the artificial sodium sulfate bathing has more potent hypotensive effect than plain water bathing probably due to prevent heat radiation, and affects the blood pressure and the plasma ANP more significantly in SHR than in WKA. In addition, the effects of mild bathing to cardiovascular and neurohumoral systems may modulate directly or indirectly the ANP secretion.

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We report the effect of electrical acupuncture therapy (Tsukuba method) on 10 patients with primary osteoarthritis of the knees.
We applied acupuncture to the sites of muscle induration and tenderness determined by physical examination and palpation. Pains during walking and when standing -up were releaved in all patients who received the treatment. Activities in daily life showed various responses to our treatment. No improvement in symptoms was found in three patients when they were going up and down staircases or sitting on tatami with their knees fully flexed. We consider that these differences in response are related to the degree of myatrophy, contracture, and stenosis of the joint space.

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Annual changes in age, age at onset, incidence of cases with steroiddependent intractable asthma, clinical asthma types and clinical efficacy rate were examined in 256 patients with chronic respiratory diseases, especially in 203 cases with bronchial asthma, admitted to Misasa Branch Hospital from 1982 to 1989.
1. A number of patients with respiratory diseases as well as asthmatics admitted each year, having spa therapy, increased from early year (1982) to later year (1989).
2. A number in cases with 40 year or over of age (also with 60 year or over of age) and cases with 40 year or over of age at onset showed a tendency to increase in later three years (1987-1989). A decreased frequency of cases with steroid-dependent asthma and of cases with type II (bronchiolar obstruction type) was observed in the later three years.
3. The clinical efficacy of spa therapy for bronchial asthma was Niger in the later three years than in early three years (1982-1984).

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We have already reported the observation that He-Ne laser irradiation applied to adjuvant arthritis of rats causes fibrosis and reduces blood vessels in the synovium. In the recent study, we applied 50 to 1500mJ/cm² a day of He-Ne laser irradiation to cultured vascular endothelial cells (EC) from the umbilical cord vein, synovial cells (SC), and chondrocytes (Ch) for three days. Except for a suppression to Ch by 1500mJ/cm² a day of irradiation, no significant influence was found on DNA synthesis in EC and SC.
The concentration of von Willebrand factor and fibronectin in the culture supernatant of EC, and of fibronection from SC, however, increased significantly after laser irradiation. This indicated that the effects of He-Ne laser irradiation on the cultured cells in vitro differed from those obtained in our previous experiment in vivo, and biostimulatory effects of He-Ne laser on cultured cells were observed as described above.

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The effect of bathing with carbonated (CO₂) water by condensing direct heat exchange type heater (CONDEC, Osaka Gas, Co., Ltd.) on tissue perfusion in rabbits was evaluated experimentally by means of mass spectrometry.
CONDEC supplies CO₂ water at 100-150ppm at 40-60°C by a latent heat collecting system in which the combustion gas directly contacts the running water.
Mean pH of the water in the bath decreased 15%, mean pH of the subcutaneous tissue decreased 1%, and mean pO₂ and pCO₂ in the subcutaneous tissue increased 7% in comparison to values obtained when tap water was used.
Mean tissue prefusion rate was calculated to be 21.71±2.34ml/100g/min (n=11, p<0.05), 15% higer than obtained when tap water was used (18.81±2.96, n=9).
CONDEC CO₂ water is thought to be useful for hydrotherapy and for application in health promoting facilities in promoting the tissue perfusion, which is known to lead to recovery from fatigue and chronic pain.

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Although the etiology and pathogenesis of nocturnal enuresis are still unclear and no definite theory has yet been established, treatment by acupuncture has been applied for a long time and its effectiveness have also been reported. However, there are very few reports on the findings on body surface (chill and KORI-stiffness/tonus/tension, etc.-of the body surface), which are important in Oriental Medicine, so we have focused on such findings in this report.
A total of 15 patients (11 boys, 4 girls) ranging in age from 4 to 13 years (8.4 years old in average) were examined. Their parents were instructed to fill out questionnaires concerning at the first examination and subsequently record daily frequency of urination and urine volume at each urination. Skin temperatures of the areas ranging from the face to the foot were measured by thermography in a supine position and abdominal regions were palpated using the techniques of Oriental Medicine.
1) Acupuncture treatment was remarkably effective in 5, effective in 5, slightly effective in 2, and ineffective or induced aggravation in 3, of the 15 patients. In summary 12 patients (80.0%) benefited from the acupunture treatment to a greater or lesser degree.
2) Ten out of 13 patients exhibited swelling and tension of the suprapubic regions, six of the ten patients experienced reduced swelling and tension after treatment, and all six patients also showed improved nocturnal enuresis.
3) The patients with nocturnal enuresis whose skin temperature in the suprapubic region was within the range of 32 to 34°C on initial examination recovered from nocturnal enuresis in contrast to those patients whose temperature was out of that range.
4) Six out of the 13 patients were found to have chill of pedal fingers on initial examination because of their temperature being under 26°C. After treatment, however, the skin temperatures of all 13 patients were above 28°C.
5) Among the five patients whose nocturnal enuresis did not respond to the acupuncture treatment, four had a pedal finger temperature below 26°C on initial examination.

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