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Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture in treating peri-menopausal depression. Method Patients diagnosed with peri-menopausal depression were randomized into a Guanyuan (CV4) group (n=30) and a Neiguan (PC6) group (n=30). After 1-month treatment, Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), modified Kupperman index, plasm ACTH and serum CORT levels were observed and compared. Result After intervention, the observed indexes were decreased to different extents, and the between-group differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion Electroacupuncture can effectively regulate the endocrine function of peri-menopausal depression patients, improve symptoms, and thus enhance the compensatory function and the quality of life, and the Guanyuan group shows a more significant effect.
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Objective: To observe the effects of electroacupuncutre at Tianzhu point on the expressions of bcl-2 and bcl-XL in the degenerative cervical intervertebral disc of rats. Methods: Forty SD male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, sham surgery group, model group, Western medicine group and electroacupuncture group, there were 10 rats in each group. Except for rats in the sham surgery group, rats in the other groups were made to be of cervical intervertebral disc degeneration by unbalanced dynamic and static forces. Rats in the electroacupunture group were treated with electroacupuncture at Tianzhu (BL 10) and Dazhu (BL 11) points, while rats in the Western medicine group with Fenbid, and rats in the model group were not treated. After 30-day treatments, the expressions of bcl-2 and bci-XL were observed with immunohisto-chemical method in the cervical intervertebral disc. Results: The expression of bcl-2 was higher in the electroacupuncture, sham surgery, and western medicine groups than that in the model group (P<0.01), whereas, there was no difference among these three groups. The expression of bcl-XL in the electroacupuncture group was lower than that in the sham surgery group (P<0.01), and higher than those in the Western medicine group and model group (P<0.01). Conclusion: Electroacupuncture treatment can enhance the expressions of bcl-2 and bcl-XL, which may be the mechanism of delaying the cell apoptosis in the intervertebral disc to treat diseases.
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Different from the traditional teaching method, PBL (Problem-Based Learning) teaching mode is emphasized to foster the students' skills in spontaneous study and problem solving and the analyzing and comprehensive thinking ability. The authors believe that in the application of the PBL teaching method, the teachers' functions should be stressed on how to select the initial moment, provide the topics, excite the interesting points, search information,make comments and evaluate the students' ability, i.e. to offer fish and teach how to catch fish as well.
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To investigate the regulatory effect of acupuncture on insulin resistance in simple obesity patients and its clinical effect. Methods: By the method to benefit qi, strengthen the spleen, dissolve phlegm and remove turbidity, eight periumbilical acupoints, Tianshu (ST 25), Huaroumen (ST 24), Wailing (ST 26), Yinjiao (CV 7) and Shuifen (CV 9), and Guanyuan (CV 4) and Zusanli (ST 36) were used, in cooperation with ear-points-embedding method, and together with 30 healthy persons for comparison, in order to observe the changes in FBG, INS,ISI, TC, TG, LDLC and HDLC and to observe the changes in the waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, body weight and BMI in simple obesity patients before and after acupuncture treatments, and to observe the differences of the therapeutic effects between grade Ⅰ and grade Ⅱ obesity. Results: Hyperinsulinemia (HI) existed in the patients with simple obesity before the treatment, and ISI significantly decreased (P＜0.01) in comparison with the healthy group, and waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, body weight and BMI significantly decreased (P＜0.05, P＜0.01), and FBG, INS, TC, TG and LDLC also significantly decreased (P＜0.01, P＜0.05), and ISI and HDLC significantly increased (P＜0.05) after the treatment. Conclusion: Acupuncturecan not only effectively improve the body fat parameters but also regulate the abnormal fat metabolism and improve insulin resistance status in simple obesity patients.
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OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of electroacupuncture and diet adjusting on insulin resistance in rats with nutrition obesity, and the role of electroacupuncture and diet adjusting in the treatment of obesity. METHODS: Obesity was induced in rats by high-fat diet. Rats with nutrition obesity were randomly divided into high-fat diet (HD) group, high-fat diet plus electroacupuncture (HA) group, normal diet (ND) group and normal diet plus electroacupuncture (NA) group, with another group of SD rats as normal control (NC). After 15 days, all the rats' body weight and length were measured, the Lee's index was calculated, and the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), free fatty acid (FFA), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FINS) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were detected. RESULTS: Compared with the HD group, food intake, body weight and viscera fat weight of the rats with nutrition obesity in the HA group and the NA group were markedly reduced (P<0.05). The levels of blood serum TC, FFA and IR index in the NA group were obviously lower than those in the HD group (P<0.01). The levels of TNF-alpha and FINS in the NA group were lower than those in the HD group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture plus diet adjusting can decrease the levels of serum TNF-alpha and FINS of the obesity rats, and improve the state of insulin resistance.
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Objective and Methods: Thirty-three patients with peri-menopausal syndrome were treated by electroacupuncture of points Guanyuan (CV 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) according to the principle of regulating and tonifying the Thoroughfare and Conception vessels, and the curative effects were analyzed.Results and Conclusion: The results showed that there was a significant difference in the clinical symptoms of the patients with peri-menopausal syndrome between pre- and post-electroacupuncture of points Guanyuan (CV 4) and Sanyinjiao (CV 6) and the clinical effective rate reached 93.9%. The measurement of sexual hormones showed E2, FSH and LH levels were better after treatment than before treatment in the patients with peri-menopausal syndrome. The analyses indicated that electroacupuncture of points Guanyuan (CV 4) and Sanyinjiao (CV 6) could relieve the clinical symptoms in the patients with peri-menopausal syndrome and improve the patient's life quality.
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BACKGROUND: To eliminate effectively and promptly sports fatigue and prevent excessive fatigue that are associate with the effects of training, improvement of sports results and health of athletes directly.OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of acupoint iontophoresis on eliminating sports fatigue.DESIGN: Randomized controlled experiment was designed, in which, the athletes were taken as the objects.SETTING: Research and Teaching Room of Sport Medicine of Wuhan In stitute of Physical Education and College of Acupuncture and Massage of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.PARTICIPANTS:The experiment was performed in Wuhan Institute of Physical Education from June 2002 to June 2003. Totally 32 male athletes were selected as the objects,with similar level in training of kayak in Wuhan Institute of Physical Education. They were randomized into 5groups, named training group, training+ acupoint-dermal electric stimulation (dermal electric group), training + oral herbal administration (Chinese herb group), training + acupoint iontophoresis group (iontophoresis group)and training + Chinese herb + iontophoresis group(Chinese herb + iontophoresis group).There were 4 persons in the training control and 7 persons in the rest groups.METHODS:The experiment was performed in the training stage of large sports load in summer. The training methods were same in each group, totally for 8 weeks. ① Training group was taken as the control. ② In dermal electric group,after training,dermal electric stimulation was applied on shanzhong (CV 17), xinshu (BL 15), baihui (GV 20) and mingmen (GV 4).③ In Chinese herb group, after training, self-prepared shenwensan was applied for oral administration as decoction. ④ In iontophoresis group, after training, iontophoresis was used. ⑤ In Chinese herb + iontophoresis group,both self-prepared shenwensan and iontophoresis were applied.Trace observation of heart and lung functions were performed with subjective physical sensation scoring (before, after and on the 4th week of experiment), test of sports results,test of heart and lung functions and radioimmunoassay(RIA) (before and after experiment) in athletes.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subjective physical sensation scoring,test of sports results,test of heart and lung functions and determination of levels of endothelin (ET) and calcitoningene-related peptide (CGRP).RESULTS:The athletes in all of groups accomplished the training and tests of every index and the results had all entered final analysis.① Subjective sensation of athletes was all improved obviously and the effect of iontophoresis was improved significantly compared with dermal electric group and Chinese herb group (P ＜ 0.05). ② The results of rowing projects were improved to different extents in each group.The improved amplitude of 12 km training in every treating group was different significantly compared with training group (P ＜ 0.05). The result of 2 km training was improved most significantly in Chinese herb + iontophoresis group (P ＜ 0.05).③ VO2max was increased in Chinese herb group,iontophoresis group and Chinese herb + iontophoresis group to different extents. Maximal respiratory quotient (Rqmax)was in tendency of increasing in every group after experiment, HR-AT was all in tendency of decreasing and it was decreased in large amplitude in Chinese herb + iontophoresis group (P ＜ 0.05). The time of exhaustive sports was prolonged in all of groups,but the effect was the most obvious in iontophoresis group. ④ Endothelin (ET) was in tendency of increasing after experiment in each group, but the increasing amplitude was the largest in training group.The calcitoningene-relatedpeptide (CGRP) was in tendency of increasing in every group, but CGRP was increased with the best result in Chinese herb + iontophoresis group and that was with the least result in training group. The difference was no significant in comparisons among groups and before and after experiment(P ＞ 0.05).It was indicated that the training load of athletes had not reach the fatigue limitation.CONCLUSION:Cardiac sports fatigue is relevant to multiple factors.Acupoint iontophoresis can protect myocardium in multiple links and layers, improve cardiac function, reduce HR-AT, increase oxygenic endurance and promote the secretion of nervous peptide ET and CGRP; retard fatigue and promote fatigue elimination so as to delay cardiac sports fatigue.
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Objective:To evaluate quality of clinical trials about acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of hyperthyrodism in China. Methods:Literature of clinical trials of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of hyperthyroidism were attained by computer and manual retrieval,and randomization,control,selection of study objects,comparability between groups,amount of samples, description and control of source of samples,criteria for diagnosis,application of blind method,criteria for assessment of therapeutic effects,statistical method,adverse effects,follow-up,and others in the literature were analyzed and evaluated by the randomized controlled test criteria and the clinical assessing method in Cochrane handbook of international Cochrane cooperation net.Results:In 63 papers,clinical randomized controlled tests of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of hyperthyroidism only accounted for 22.2%,but with increasing tend year by year in recent years.Conclusion:Though acupuncture and moxibustion have been widely applied in prevention and treatment of hyperthyroidism,it could not provide evidences of higher reliability for clinical treatment due to less clinical randomized controlled tests and lower quality,which severely hinder testing and verifying of clinical therapeutic effects of acupuncture and moxibustion.It is proposed that multiple central and randomized controlled test should be made,so as to search for feasible acupuncture and moxibustion methods with definite therapeutic effect for hyperthyroidism,and provide basis for further systematical evaluation of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of hyperthyroidism.