ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic effect of thermosensitive moxibustion (TSM) and medication in the treatment of insomnia patients with the syndrome of stagnation of liver-qi. METHODS: A total of 60 insomnia patients with the syndrome of liver-qi stagnation were randomly divided into TSM group and medication group (n ＝ 30 in each). Mild moxibustion was applied to bilateral Taichong (LR 3) and Qiuxu (GB 40) alternatively till the patient experienced an intense warmth (diathermic, heat transmission, etc.) feeling in the local region. The treatment was conducted once daily for 15 d. Patients of the medication group were ordered to take Estazolam tablets (1 mg/d) 1 h before sleeping, once daily for successive 15 days. The sleep quality (sleeping quality, falling asleep time, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disorders, hyponotic and day time dysfunction, 0－21 points) was evaluated by using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The therapeutic effect was assessed in accordance with the "Guide Principles for Clinical Trials on New Drugs of Chinese Materia Medica (1993)" and international united sleep efficiency value. RESULTS: Following the treatment, the PSQI of both groups were significantly decreased relevant to their own pre-treatment (P0.05). Of the two 30 cases in the medication and moxibustion groups, 12 (40.00%) and 20 (66.67%) had marked improvement, 7 (23.33%) and 6 (20.00%) were effective, and 11(36.67%) and 4 (13.33%) were invalid, with the effective rates being 63.33 % (19/30) and 86.67% (26/30), respectively. The effective rate of the TSM group was significantly higher than that of the medicine group (P <0.05). CONCLUSION: Thermosensitive moxibustion applied to the source points of the Liver and Gallbladder Meridians can improve the quality of sleep in insomnia patients with syndrome of liver-qi stagnation.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of long-term exposure to power frequency electromagnetic fields on the humoral immune function in transformer substation workers. METHODS: By simple random sampling method,64 workers with length of service longer than 5. 0 years in 500 k V transformer substation were chosen as exposure group and 57 general administrative staffs without exposure to power frequency electromagnetic field were chosen as control group. Venous blood was collected from subjects of these two groups and the levels of immunoglobulin( Ig) A,Ig G,Ig M,complement( C) 3and C4 in plasma were examined by immunoturbidimetry. RESULTS: Compared with the control group,the levels of both Ig A and Ig G increased( P < 0. 05),while both levels of C3 and C4 decreased( P < 0. 05) in exposure group. Compared with the control,the level of Ig G increased( P < 0. 05),while the levels of both C3 and C4 decreased( P < 0. 05) in exposure subgroup with length of service ≤10. 0 years. The level of C4 decreased( P < 0. 05) in exposure subgroup with length of service > 10. 0 years. CONCLUSION: Long-term exposure to power frequency electromagnetic fields may activate the humoral immune function in transformer substation workers.