Effects of Energy Healers on Atherosclerosis

描述（由申请人提供）：冠状动脉疾病是美国死亡和残疾的主要原因。过去20年来，我们的研究目标一直是调查心血管疾病发展的机制，并确定潜在的治疗干预部位。越来越多的证据表明，不良的社会支持系统和情绪状态在冠状动脉疾病的发展和进展中起着重要作用;旨在解决患者情绪状态的干预措施已显示出有益的效果。快速发展的心理神经免疫学领域提供了深入了解情绪健康可能影响身体健康的潜在机制。人们越来越感兴趣的是使用干预方案，包括基于东方精神哲学的冥想和瑜伽等做法。这些哲学的一个基本前提是，我们通过一种未知的生命力相互联系。能量治疗师认为，这种生命力可能是情感支持性社会互动的一个组成部分。他们声称能够将这种生命力传递给客户，从而改善客户的情绪和精神健康。几项关于能量愈合的积极试验，包括两项关于心脏病患者的积极试验，表明这种CAM模式值得进一步研究。胆固醇喂养的兔子提供了一个完善的模型，用于评价潜在的治疗药物对动脉粥样硬化发展的影响。据报道，接受护理的兔子的病变发展明显减少。在这个应用中，我们提出了一个试点研究使用胆固醇喂养的兔子。将研究能量愈合治疗对病变发展的影响。如果这些研究提供了有益效果的证据，动物模型的可用性将允许设计未来的研究，其中可以详细研究对生理标志物，作用部位或能量愈合输送的重要特征的影响。本申请的具体目的是：1）在胆固醇诱导的动脉粥样硬化的兔模型中评估能量愈合治疗可以减少动脉粥样硬化进展的可能性，2）评估能量愈合治疗可能降低胆固醇诱导的动脉粥样硬化兔模型中神经内分泌和交感神经系统激活标志物的可能性3）评估能量治疗可以最小化胆固醇诱导的动脉粥样硬化兔模型中内皮细胞基因转录激活的可能性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Coronary artery disease is the major cause of death and disability in the United States. The goal of our research for the past 20-years has been to investigate mechanisms involved in the development of cardiovascular disease and to identify potential sites for therapeutic intervention. Evidence that poor social support systems and emotional states play a major role in the development and progression of coronary artery disease is accumulating; interventions designed to address the emotional state of the patient have demonstrated beneficial effects. The rapidly growing field of psychoneuroimmunology is providing insights into potential mechanisms by which emotional health could affect physical health. There is growing interest in the use of interventional programs that include practices such as meditation and yoga that are based on Eastern spiritual philosophies. A basic premise of these philosophies is that we are interconnected through an unidentified life-force. Energy healers suggest that this life-force may be a component of emotionally supportive social interactions. They claim to be able to channel this life-force to clients, thus improving the emotional and spiritual health of the client. Several positive trials on energy healing, including two positive trials on cardiac patients, suggest that this CAM modality is worthy of further study. Cholesterol-fed rabbits provide a well-established model for evaluation of the effects of potential therapeutic agents on the development of atherosclerosis. A marked reduction in the development of lesions in rabbits receiving caring attention has been reported. In this application, we propose a pilot study using cholesterol-fed rabbits. The effect of energy healing treatments on lesion development will be investigated. Should these studies provide evidence for beneficial effects, the availability of an animal model would allow the design of future studies in which effects on physiological markers, sites of action, or important features of delivery of energy healing could be investigated in detail. The Specific Aims of the present application are: 1) to evaluate the possibility that energy healing treatments may decrease the progression of atherosclerosis in a rabbit model of cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis, 2) to evaluate the possibility that energy healing treatments may decrease markers of neuroendocrine and sympathetic nervous system activation in a rabbit model of cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis 3) to evaluate the possibility that energy healing treatments can minimize the activation of endothelial cell gene transcription in a rabbit model of cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis.