Investigation on therapeutic effect and mechanism of acupuncture at Fengchi (GB 20) and "Gongxue" for treatment of patients with vertebral-basilar insufficiency / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the difference of the therapeutic effect of acupuncture and western medicine on the patients with vertebral-basilar insufficiency (VBI), and investigate its mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>According to the different velocity of blood flow recorded by Transcranial Doppler (TCD), sixty patients with VBI were divided into an acupunture group (31 cases) and a western medicine group (29 cases). In the acupuncture group, the patients were punctured at Fengchi (GB 20) and "Gongxue" (Extra). In the western medicine group, the patients were orally given the Flunarizine hydrochlorid capsules. Before and after two-week treatment, the clinical symptoms and related data of TCD were compared, analyzed and evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The clinical symptoms were obviously improved in the acupuncture group, which was better than the western medicine group (P < 0.05). Acupuncture not only could up-regulate the velocity of vertebral-basilar blood flow (VBF) on the patients with slower VBF of peak-systolic phase (Vs), end-diastolic phase (Vd) and mean value (Vm), but also reduced the VBF on the patients with faster Vs, Vd and Vm. In comparison of the data before and after treatment, there were significantly differences in two groups (P < 0.05), however, there were no difference between the two groups (all P > 0.05). On the index of vascular pulsation (PI), resistance index (RI) and Vs/Vd, there were no difference in both groups before and after treatment (all P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncturing at Fengchi (GB 20) and "Gongxue" has bidirectional and beneficial function of regulation on the VBF, but no active role on the compatibility of vertebral-basilar blood vessel.</p>

Professor HUANG Xuan-Wei's clinical experience in acupuncture and moxibustion / 中国针灸

Professor HUANG's clinical acupuncture and moxibustion characters are introduced from selection of acupoints, needles used, needling methods, etc. Based on the differentiation of symptoms and signs, he is good at using pair-points and syndrome differentiation, point-through-point acupuncture and combined many methods, and pays attention to adjusting mental activity, promoting flow of qi, treating both body and mental treatment. He also uses other therapies besides acupuncture and adopts good advance from others, so as to greatly increase clinical therapeutic effects.

Effect of needling quchi and taichong points on blood levels of endothelin and angiotension converting enzyme in patients with hypertension / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect and explore the mechanism of needling Quchi and Taichong points in treating hypertension patients and the influence on blood levels of angiotension converting enzyme (ACE) and endothelin (ET) levels.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty hypertension patients were randomly divided into the Taichong needling group (A), Quchi needling group (B) and control group (C, treated by Captopril). Changes of plasma ET was determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and serum ACE content was measured by chemical colorimeter.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The effect of lowering systolic pressure at 15 min after needling in Group B was better than that in Group A (P < 0.01), but it was inferior to the latter at 120 min after withdrawal of needle (P < 0.05), while after one course treatment, the effect in Group B and C was obviously better than that in Group A (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Content of serum ACE significantly increased in Group B and that of plasma ET significantly decreased in Group A, showing significant difference between the two groups, all P < 0.01.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Needling Quchi and Taichong all show hypertensive effect, the former is obviously higher than that of the latter. They could regulate the blood level of ACE and ET, protect and repair vascular endothelial cells, but the key links of their mechanism might be different.</p>