Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous primary disorder of carbohydrate metabolism with multiple etiologic factors that generally involve absolute or relative insulin deficiency or insulin resistance or both. All causes of diabetes ultimately lead to hyperglycemia, polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia and weight loss, which are the hallmark of this disease clinical presentation.
The prevalence of diabetes is very great in the world. In the United States, for example, the prevalence of diabetes is probably between 2 and 4 percent, with IDDM comprising only 7 to 10 percent of all cases, the other is NIDDM.
Therapeutic methods including dietary treatment, oral hypoglycemic agents and insulin treatment are sometimes effective, but do not respond satisfactorily to all patients.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which has been developed for about thousands of years is one of the important parts in the world medical science. While Chinese Qi Gong Medicine, as a branch of TCM, has those effects of recovery from illness, health, and prevention from disease, therefore there are more and more people liked it in recent years. Some studies have proved that Qi Gong is effective in anti-infection and anti-tumor. Why not it has the effect to treat diabetes? To answer this question, we have done this experiment and gotten some useful results. Now report as follows.
Material and Method
1. Rats, provided by Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Chinese Medical Sciences Academy, were all male, with weight about 150 +-10g.
2. Alloxan (C4H2N2O4), No. 910525.
3. Preparation of Rat Diabetes Model.
Forty male rats were divided randomly into five groups, that was control group (A group), control of rat diabetes model group (B group), qigong treating group (C group), qigong information material treating group (D group) and qigong and qigong information material cooperatively treating group (group E).
At the beginning of the experiment, 2.5% alloxan was injected into intraperitoneal of rats of B, C, D and E groups for two days ( 1 time per day), according to the dose of 12mg/100g, 5 days later, we can get those rat diabetes models with hyperglycemia syndrome.
4. Qigong Information Treatment
Since the sixth day after injection of alloxan, the rats of C group were treated by the emitted qi given out through the hands of qigong master for two weeks (30 minutes per day). The rats of D group were not given any treatment except qigong information water to drink for 14 days. While the E group was given both the emitted qi to treat and qigong information water to drink as C and D group as above.
5. Noted the change of weight and blood sugar levels of each rat.
6. At the end of the experiment, the rats of A, B and C group were killed and the change of submicroscopic structure of pancreatic B cells was observed.
Result and Discussion
Recently, there were some explanations about the effect of qigong on diabetes.
First, qigong has its base on the regulation of body, the regulation of breathing and the regulation of mind. One attains the self-control of physical functions through the regulation of body and breathing, then attains the self-control of mental conditions through the regulation of mind. These lead to the realization of the goal of the TMC, that is, 'the integration of body and mind' and 'Fu Zheng' (strengthening the body resistance), which may eventually make the blood sugar levels of diabetes drop.
Second, qigong information can adjust the elevated glucose levels directly.
Some evidence have shown that the biological effect decrease or/and the absolutely need increase of insulin may cause the elevation of insulin levels in some adult or old patients. Thus by means of increasing cells' sensitivity to insulin or/and biological effect, qigong information may regulate blood sugar of living body.
Third, besides of increasing the using of glucose by target cells, qigong information can rise the insulin levels directly, either absolutely or relatively. As studies have proved that after qigong information treatment, the insulin secretion increased absolutely at any time in oral glucose tolerance tests.
In our experiment, the following results were found:
1. Qigong information is effective in making the diabetes rats gain weight.
Figure 1 showed that after qigong treatment (included the emitted qi, the qigong information material and both of them), the rats C, D, E groups recovered from 'weight loss' rapidly in about two weeks, and six weeks later, their weights were as normal as that of A group (control group), which were significantly higher than the B Group (P<0.01). Indicated that qigong information can increase the secretion of insulin relatively, and made the best of using of nourishment in blood.
2. Qigong information is also effective in the regulation of glucose levels.
From Figure 2, we can see that after two weeks qigong treatment, the glucose level of C, D, E groups dropped sharply to less than 140 mg/dl, and in the next four weeks, it was normal completely, which was obviously lower than the B group (P<0.01).
According to both Figure 1 and Figure 2, we can say that there was some relationship between 'weight loss' and abnormal of sugar levels, but all of those were 'results,' while the absolute or relative insulin deficiency was 'cause.' The better the change of the 'cause,' the better the 'result,' which may be the explanation to the effect of qigong information energy.
3. The different of submicroscopic structure of pancreatic B cells between before and after qigong information treatment indicated that qigong was effect on elevating the secretion of insulin.
Figure 3 showed the normal pancreatic B cells of control group. The nucleus was round, with no 'cut' can be seen on its membrane. The cytoplasm plenty, there were many of endoplasmic reticulums and secretory vesicles, and in the secretory ball the granular region was spherical, while the outside was its membrane.
Figure 4 showed the abnormal pancreatic B cells of diabetes model group. The nucleus shrinked. There were great deal of endoplasmic reticulums and ribosomes, but the endoplasmic reticulum enlarged, therefore its function lost. There was almost no secretory vesicle, or it may be a ball with no secretory material. Figure 5 indicated the pancreatic B cells of qigong treatment group. The nucleus was round with no 'cut'. The organelles were normal and the endoplasmic reticulum were plenty. The secretory vesicles were big and round.
All of these results indicated that qigong information treatment can make the organelles (i.e. nucleus, endoplasmic reticulums, ribosomes, secretory vesicles etc.) of pancreatic B cells recovered from injure, and thus increased the secretion of insulin directly.
