Discussion on "sugar needle - comfortable acupuncture and moxibustion" / 中国针灸

The cases of feeling comfort during acupuncture and moxibustion treatment in literature were summarized and its biological basis was explored. A simple classification of comfort was made, and the importance of obtaining comfort in acupuncture treatment was pointed out. Considering the pursuit of less pain and harmlessness in modern clinical treatment, sugar needle should be advocated and popularized in current clinical practice of acupuncture and moxibustion.

Empirical analysis on lumbar disc herniation treated with "sinew-bone three needling technique" of Chinese medicine / 中国针灸

The paper presents professor WU Han-qing's experience in treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) with "sinew-bone three needling technique" of Chinese medicine. Based on the theory of meridian sinew, the points are located by "three-pass method" in terms of the distribution of meridian sinew and syndrome/pattern differentiation. The cord-like muscles and adhesion are relieved by relaxing technique to work directly on the affected sites and alleviate the local compression to the nerve root. The needle technique is operated flexibly according to the affected regions involved, due to which, the needling sensation is increased while the safety ensured. As a result, the meridian qi is enhanced, the mind and qi circulation is regulated; and the clinical effect is improved.

Improving acupuncture research: progress, guidance, and future directions / 中国针灸

This paper makes an interpretation of the collection Acupuncture: how to improve the evidence base published by BMJ & BMJ Open. Studies show that the quality of randomized controlled trial (RCT) of acupuncture is low, and multivariable Meta-regression analysis fails to confirm most factors commonly believed to influence the effect of acupuncture. The methodological challenges in design and conduct of RCT in acupuncture were analyzed, and a consensus on how to design high-quality acupuncture RCT was developed. The number of acupuncture systematic reviews was huge but the evidence was underused in clinical practice and health policy, and a large number of western clinical practice guidelines recommended acupuncture therapy, but the usefulness of recommendations needed to be improved. In view of the problems in clinical research on acupuncture mentioned in this collection, combined with the analysis of the purpose of clinical research on acupuncture, perspectives, study types, as well as the relationship between evidence and clinical decision-making, a five-stage study paradigm of clinical research on acupuncture is proposed.

Acupoint selection for cancer pain: based on current evidence and Delphi method / 中国针灸

Based on literature research and Delphi expert consensus method, the important acupoints for cancer pain was summarized to provide evidence basis for the formulation of

Biological Mechanism of Specific Relationship between Gan (Liver) Meridian of Foot-Jueyin and Genitals / 中国结合医学杂志

From the perspective view of Chinese medicine, the Gan (Liver) meridian of Foot-Jueyin starts from the great toe, running upward along the medial side of the thigh to the perineal area, where it curves around the external genitalia and goes up to the lower abdomen. In clinical practice, acupoints in the feet of the Gan meridian of Foot-Jueyin are used to treat the genitourinary and external genitalia diseases. Studies have shown that reproductive system diseases have specific pathological reactions in the places (radial side of tibia and foot) where Gan meridian of Foot-Jueyin passes by. Why does this happen? In this article, we begin by briefly reviewing the evidences linking foot and genitalia. We then explore the potential mechanism of the relationship between genitals and the Gan meridian of Foot-Jueyin. The brain cerebral cortex is characterized by cortical interactions. Numerous studies show that different cerebral cortex function areas (especially the adjacent areas) are overlapping and interact with each other. Finally, we presume that there is a specific connection between the feet and the genitals. Physiologically in the cortical homunculus, the genital area lies adjacent or overlapped to the foot areas, the two areas may interact with each other. The functional reorganization between different areas of the cerebral cortex under pathological conditions may be the underlying mechanism of the relationship between the feet and the genitals.

Professor 's clinical experience in treatment of infertility of ovulation disturbance with acupuncture-moxibustion therapy / 中国针灸

The characteristics of syndrome differentiation and the experience of professor were briefly introduced for the treatment of infertility of ovulation disturbance, including three aspects, named the thought of diagnosis and treatment, the therapeutic method and the acupoint prescription, as well as the clinical case report. Academically, professor is deeply influenced by professor , the acupuncture master of Xin'an school and Lingnan school. Regarding the treatment of gynecological diseases, the academic thought of professor - and - is contributed. Professor attaches the importance to the syndrome differentiation based on meridian and collateral, supplemented by the syndrome differentiation of , , and blood, cold and heat, as well as the deficiency and excess. In clinical treatment, the acupoints are selected specially from the conception vessel, the governor vessel, the thoroughfare vessel and the belt vessel. The extra meridians are equally important as the regular ones in the treatment, especially the belt vessel. Additionally, the treatment focuses on communicating the congenital with the acquired one, regulating the liver and benefiting the kidney, as well as adjusting the heart, the spleen and the stomach to ease the uterus. Simultaneously, the great consideration is paid to the menstruation regulation so as to promote pregnancy.

Construction of the integrative evidence chain in clinical trial of acupuncture and moxibustion / 中国针灸

The research aims to propose the approaches to the clinical trial of acupuncture and moxibustion and provide the methodological guide for the research in this field in terms of the inadequate systematic collection, lack of the specific characteristics of acupuncture-moxibustion treatment and insufficient persuasion in clinical evidences of acupuncture-moxibustion research. Through a systematic review of the registration of acupuncture-moxibustion clinical trials at home and abroad, the distribution of diseases with the recommendation of acupuncture and moxibustion in Cochrane Library database, combined with the evidence grade of the evidence-based medicine and the individual characteristics of clinical practice with acupuncture and moxibustion, some research ideas and framework are proposed for the clinical trial of acupuncture and moxibustion. To take the curative effect as the forerumer, the dominant disease and therapeutic methods of acupuncture and moxibustion should be initially generalized by the case experiences and clinical observation at the first. In view of the potential function of acupuncture and moxibustion in treatment, the rigorous and standardized clinical trial should be carried out to verify their therapeutic effect. Finally, the experimental research is adopted to explore the mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion. Through the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, all of the evidences are integrated to form an integrative evidence chain. It is anticipated that the construction of the integrative evidence chain in clinical trial of acupuncture and moxibustion may enhance the promotion of clinical practice with acupuncture and moxibustion and increase the influence of acupuncture-moxibusiton discipline.

's acupuncture technique and the rules of acupoints selection on leg / 中国针灸

's acupuncture technique is a kind of special acupuncture methods developed and improved by . It has unique curative effects on hysterical paralysis, schizophrenia, madness, epilepsy and traumatic paraplegia, etc. This acupuncture technique has the characteristics of "deep" "transparent" "moving" and "sensing". The acupoints selection is different from that of twelve meridian acupoints. The deep insertion of acupuncture needles is applied at acupoints located in the wrist joint, ankle joint and below, while the penetration needling method is applied at acupoints located in the area which has relatively thick muscles, and where meridian and -meridian are symmetric with each other. The horizontal and deep connection of acupoints and the adjustment effect of -blood and - are emphasized during treatment.

Clinical Observation of Tong Du Tiao Shen Needling in Treating Post-stroke Deglutition Disorders / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Tong Du Tiao Shen needling (unblocking the Governor Vessel and regulating the mind) in treating post-stroke deglutition disorders. Method Sixty patients with post-stroke deglutition disorders were randomized into a treatment group and a control group by the random number table, 30 cases each. In addition to the conventional neurological treatment, the control group was given ordinary acupuncture, and the treatment group was given Tong Du Tiao Shen needling, 3 times a week, 10 sessions as a treatment course. The Water Swallowing Test (WST) and Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study (VFSS) were observed in the two groups before and after 1 course of treatment. Result The total effective rate was 93.3% in the treatment group, significantly superior to 66.7% in the control group (P<0.05). The VFSS showed that the intra-group differences were statistically significant in comparing oral transit, pharyngeal retention and pharyngeal transit of semi-fluid food in both treatment and control groups by the paired t-test (P<0.05), and the between-group differences after the treatment were also statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion Tong Du Tiao Shen needling can produce a more significant efficacy in improving the swallowing function in post-stroke dysphasia compared to ordinary acupuncture.

Neuroprotective effects of electroacupuncture on hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in newborn rats are associated with increased expression of GDNF-RET and protein kinase B / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the neuroprotective effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and to further investigate the role of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family receptor member RET (rearranged during transfection) and its key downstream phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI-3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway in the process.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 220 seven-day-old SD rats (of either sex, from 22 broods) were randomly divided into two groups, one (30 rats) for sham-surgery group and the other (190 rats) for HIE model group. The HIE model was established using the left common carotid artery ligation method in combination with hypoxic treatment. The successfully established rats were randomly divided into five groups, including control model group, EA group, sham-EA group, antagonist group and antagonist plus electroacupuncture group, with 35 rats in each group. Baihui (GV 20), Dazhui (GV 14), Quchi (LI 11) and Yongquan (KI 1) acupoints were chosen for acupuncture. EA was performed at Baihui and Quchi for 10 min once a day for continuous 1, 3, 7 and 21 days, respectively. The rats were then killed after the operation and injured cerebral cortex was taken for the measurement of neurologic damage by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and the degenerative changes of cortical ultrastructure by transmission electron microscopy. RET mRNA level and Akt protein level were detected by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>EA could ameliorate neurologic damage of the first somatic sensory area (S1Tr) and alleviate the degenerative changes of ultrastructure of cortical neurons in rats subjected to HIE. And the longer acupuncture treatment lasted, the better its therapeutic effect would be. This was accompanied by gradually increased expression of GDNF family receptor RET at the mRNA level and its downstream signaling Akt at the protein level in the ischemic cortex.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA has neuroprotective effects on HIE and could be a potential therapeutic strategy for HIE in the neonate. Activation of RET/Akt signaling pathway might be involved in this process.</p>

Impacts of acupuncture and moxibustion on outcome indeices of depression patients' subjective reports / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the clinical efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion on depression in view of the outcome indicators of the patient subjective reports.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and sixty-three cases of depression being in compliance with the inclusive standards were randomized into a soothing-liver and regulating-mind group, an acupoint-shallow-puncturing group and a non-acupoint-shallow-puncturing group. In the soothing-liver and regulating-mind group, the conventional acupuncture was applied to the four-gate points [Hegu (LI 4) and Taichong (LR 3)], Baihui (GV 20) and Yintang (EX-HN 3), the direct moxibustion with moxa cone was applied to the four-flower points [Geshu (BL 17), Danshu (BL 19)]. Finally, the intradermal needling was used at Xinshu (BL 15) and Ganshu (BL 18). In the acupoint-shallow-puncturing group, the acupoints selected were same as those in the soothing-liver and regulating-mind group. But the needle insertion was shallower and the time of moxibustion was shorter. In the non-acupoint-shallow-puncturing group, the spots that were 10 mm lateral to those acupoints in the soothing-liver and regulating-mind group were selected. The operation was same as that in the acupoint-shallow-puncturing group. The treatment was given twice a week in three groups. Totally, 12 weeks of treatment were required. The score of symptom checklist 90 (SCL-90), the self-report symptom inventory was observed before treatment, 1 month and 3 months after treatment separately so as to assess the corresponding short-term, mid-term and long-term efficacies of the program of acupuncture and moxibustion for soothing the liver and regulating the mind.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In each time-point after treatment, for the scores of somatization, obsessive-compulsive symptom, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, paranoid ideation, psychoticism and the other 8 dimensionalities, in comparison between the soothing-liver and regulating-mind group and the non-acupoint-shallow-puncturing group, the differences were significant statistically (all P < 0.05). For the scores of depression, anxiety and hostility, in comparison between the soothing-liver and regulating-mind group and the acupoint-shallow-puncturing group, the differences were significant statistically (all P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture and moxibustion can improve the scores of SCL-90 scale for the patients with depression. The outcome indicators of the patient subjective reports can accurately assess the clinical efficacy.</p>

Study on the correlation between synaptic reconstruction and astrocyte after ischemia and the influence of electroacupuncture on rats / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on the structure parameters of synapse and reactive changes of astrocyte in the marginal zone of focal cerebral ischemia in rats at different time zones so as to further explore its underlying mechanisms in the treatment of cerebral ischemia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to sham-operation, model, and EA groups, with 30 animals in each group. Each group was subdivided into 1 h, as well as 1, 3, 7, and 21 days post-operation groups, with 6 animals assigned to each time point subgroup. Heat coagulation-induced occlusion of the middle cerebral artery was performed to establish a model of focal cerebral ischemia. EA was applied immediately following surgery to the EA group [4/20 Hz, 2.0-3.0 V, 1-3 mA, to Baihui (GV20) and Dazhui (GV14)] for 30 min. Treatment was performed once a day, and experimental animals were sacrificed at 1 h, as well as 1, 3, 7 and 21 days postoperation. The ultrastructure changes in synapse and astrocytes were observed by using transmission electron microscopy. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression and Ca(2+) of astrocytes were measured by using laser confocal scanning microscope. Excitatory amino acid transporters-2 (EAAT2) and connexin 43 (CX43) expressions were assayed with immunohistochemical method. Canonical correlation analysis was conducted between structure parameters of synapse and parameters of astrocyte in the same time and group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Broken synapses were observed following cerebral ischemia, and the numbers of synapses were significantly decreased. Compared with the model group, synaptic ultrastructure was significantly improved in the EA group. Compared with the sham-operation group, synaptic number density was significantly decreased, as were postsynaptic density thickness, synaptic cleft width and synaptic interface curvature in the EA and model groups. However, compared with the model group, postsynaptic density thickness was significantly increased in the EA group at the same time points post-operation (P <0.05, P<0.01). In addition, synaptic cleft width, synaptic number density and synaptic interface curvature were significantly increased with the passage of time (P <0.05, P<0.01). The expression of GFAP in the EA group were significantly lower than those in the model group at all the time points (P <0.05, P<0.01). OD values of EAAT2 in the EA group were significantly higher than those in the model group at the same time (P <0.05, P<0.01). Compared with that in the model group, the expressions of CX43 in the EA group increased significantly at 3 days and 7 days (P <0.05, P<0.01). Ca(2+) average fluorescence intensity of astrocytes in the EA group was significantly lower than those in the model group at 1 h, 1 day, 3 days and 7 days (P <0.05, P<0.01). The changes in structure parameters of synapse were closely related to the changes of CX43, EAAT2, GFAP, Ca(2+) of astrocytes by EA treatment at all the time points.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>EA is helpful for synaptic reorganization, which may be related to its effect on intervening the activation state of astrocytes and promoting the beneficial interaction between astrocytes and synapses. Acupuncture could start the adjustment of neuron-glial network so as to promote the synaptic reorganization, which may be the key mechanism of treating cerebral ischemia.</p>

Effects of acupuncture on serum insulin antibody and tumor necrosis factor alpha in the experimental rat with insulin resistance / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe effects of acupuncture and diet on insulin resistance (IR) and to probe the mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty SID rats were equally divided into 5 groups: blank group (group I), model group I (group II), model group II (group III), acupuncture group I (group IV) and acupuncture group II (group V). The groups II, III, N and V were fed with high-fat-sugar-salt forage to made IR model, then the groups I, III and V were fed with normal forage, and the groups II and IV with the high-fat-sugar-salt forage, and the acupuncture groups IV and V received acupuncture treatment. Two weeks later, the fasting blood glucose (FBG), plasma insulin (INS), insulin sensitivity index (ISI), INS antibody and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were detected.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>As compared with group I, FBG and INS increased, ISI decreased in the group II (all P < 0.01); as compared with the group II , FBG and INS decreased (all P < 0.01) and ISI increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) in the group [II, IV, V; no case with INS antibody (+) in all groups; TNF-alpha in the group II increased compared with that of the group I (P < 0.01), and TNF-alpha in the group III, IV, V decreased compared with that of group II (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture exerts a reversal effect on insulin resistance, and diet can promotes this effect. The mechanism is carried out possibly through decreasing the secretion of TNF-alpha.</p>

Experimental study on effects of electro-acupuncture in improving synaptic plasticity in focal cerebral ischemia rats / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the mechanisms of electro-acupuncture (EA) in improving synaptic plasticity after cerebral ischemic injury.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Focal cerebral ischemia (FCI) model was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) with heat-coagulation method. The changing rules of synaptic ultrastructure, synaptophysin (P38), growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in the ischemic cortex 2 and 5 weeks after FCI and the effects of EA on them were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Expression of numerical density (Nv), surface density (Sv), volume density (Vv), post synaptic density (PSD) and P38 in the ischemic cortex significantly decreased after MCAO (P<0.01). Among them, Nv and Sv were raised at the 5th week in FCI rats either treated or untreated with EA (P<0.01), but the increment of Sv was higher in those of the treated rats (P<0.01); PSD in the EA treated rats also showed a significant increase at the 5th week, which was significant higher than that in those untreated; EA showed insignificant influence on Vv and synaptic interfacial curvature; P38 lowered continuously after 2 weeks, but at the 5th week, it was higher in EA treated rats than that in untreated rats (P<0.01), while at the 2nd week, the levels in treated and untreated rats were equal. GAP-43 rose in the 2nd week after modeling, with no difference between EA treated and untreated animals, at the 5th week, it was lowered in untreated rats to near that in sham-operated rats, but maintained at higher level in EA treated rats; NGF and BDNF positive cells significantly increased after modeling (P<0.01), and showed a descending trend with the time going (P<0.01) both in rats treated or untreated with EA.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA can protect synaptic ultrastructure, promote the expression of P38, GAP-43, NGF and BDNF in the ischemic cerebral cortex, and thus improve synaptic plasticity in cerebral ischemic rats.</p>

Effect of electro-acupuncture on calcium content in neurocytes of focal cerebral ischemia / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) in regulating calcium (Ca2+) content in brain neurocytes of rats with focal cerebral ischemia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The changes of Ca2+ content in ischemic neurocytes were observed by using laser confocal scanning microscope.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ca2+ content did not change significantly in cerebral cortex when the brain ischemia occurred for 1 hr, but it raised significantly in striatum neurocytes. Both the Ca2+ contents in striatum and cortex area increased significantly 3 hrs after ischemia occurrence and the content in striatum was higher than that in cortex significantly. Brain Ca2+ content could be reduced significantly after the 3 hrs ischemic brain were treated by EA for 30 min.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA could regulate the content of Ca2+ in the ischemic area of brain, inhibit Ca2+ overload, so as to protect neurons from ischemic injury.</p>