Efficacy of electroacupuncture in the treatment of functional constipation: A randomized controlled pilot trial / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture at Tianshu (ST25) for patients with functional constipation (FC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety-six patients with FC were randomized to receive deep needling on bilateral ST25 (group A, 48 cases) or shallow needling on bilateral ST25 (group B, 48 cases) with electroacupuncture once daily for 4 weeks. The proportion of patients with four or more complete spontaneous bowel movements (CSBMs) per week, and scores of constipation symptoms and satisfaction with treatment were compared between two groups. Safety was also assessed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The proportion of patients with four or more CSBMs per week was 52.1% in group A, significantly higher than 25.0% in group B during the 4-week treatment (P<0.05). The constipation symptom score of patients were significantly improved in group A as compared with group B at week 2-4 (P<0.05). Patients in group A were more satisfied with their treatment compared with those in group B at week 1-4 (P<0.05). Five patients in group A felt significant pain and discomfort. No other adverse reaction was observed in both groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Using electroacupuncture at ST25 to treat patients with FC is effectively, and deep needling had more stable effect than shallow needling.</p>

Therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture at ST36 acupoint on sodium-taurocholate-induced severe acute pancreatitis / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the protective effects and mechanisms of electroacupuncture (EA) at Zusanli (ST36) acupoint in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to three groups of 22 each: a SAP model group (SAP group), a shamoperated group (sham group) and a EA at ST36 acupoint group (EA group). A rat model of SAP was induced by pancreatic duct injection with 3.5% sodium taurocholate. EA was performed at ST36 acupoint for 30 min after induction of SAP and 30 min before sacrificed. The rats were killed at 3 h (n=7), 6 h (n=7) and 12 h (n=8) after operation, and blood samples were taken for the measurement of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and acetylcholine (Ach) by enzyme-linked immunosorbnent assay. The pathological changes of pancreatic tissue, volume of ascites and pancreatic weight/body weight ratio were measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The serum concentrations of TNF-α and IL-6 in the EA group were significantly lower than in the SAP group at 3, 6 and 12 h after the operation (p<0.05). Serum Ach in the EA group was significantly higher than in the SAP group at various time points after operation (p<0.05). The other parameters were clearly improved after treatment with EA.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA at ST36 acupoint might have a therapeutic effect in rats with SAP through activating the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway.</p>

Effects of electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) on the expressions of small intestinal occludin protein and nuclear factor kappa-B in rats with severe acute pancreatitis / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) on regulation of intestinal inflammatory reaction in rats with acute pancreatitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-four SD rats were randomly divided into a severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) group, an electroacupuncture (EA) group and a sham-operation (SO) group, 18 cases in each group. 3.5% sodium cholate was used to made SAP model by retrograde injecting in cholangiopancreatic duct. After the success of model making, the EA group was treated with EA at bilateral Zusanli (ST 36) for 30 min. The SO group and the SAP group were fixed at the same time for 30 min without treatment. All the rats were killed at 3 h, 6 h and 12 h after modeling in batches. The pathological changes of pancreatic tissue and intestinal epithelium were observed, and the expression of small intestinal occludin protein and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kappaB) were detected by immunohistochemical SP method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The pathologic score and the expression of small intestinal NF-kappaB p65 at 3 h, 6 h and 12 h after modeling in the EA group and the SO group were significantly lower than those in the SAP group (all P < 0.05), and the expression of small intestinal occludin protein in the EA group and the SO group were significantly higher than that in the SAP group (all P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) can alleviate pancreatic injury by reducing the expression of NF-kappaB p65 and enhancing the expression of occludin protein in the intestinal epithelium in the SAP model rats.</p>

Effects of electroacupuncture preemptive intervention on postoperative pain of mixed hemorrhoids / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture at Changqiang (GV 1) and Chengshan (BL 57) 30 min before surgery on postoperative pain and discomforts in patients with mixed hemorrhoids.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and twenty cases of mixed hemorrhoids who received Milligan-Morgan operation were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture group, a sham electroacupuncture group and a blank group, 40 cases in each one. At the same time of basic treatment, the electroacupuncture was applied at Changqiang (GV 1) and Chengshan (BL 57) 30 min before surgery in the electroacupuncture group, while shallow needling without electrical stimulation at sham acupoint (1 cm next to acupoint) was applied 30 min before surgery in the sham electroacupuncture group, while no treatment was given before the surgery in the blank group. The total dose of painkillers in the first 24 h after operation, the number of cases who received additional anesthetic in the operation, the self-score of most severity pain in the first 24 h after operation and sleeping time in the night of surgery were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The differences of the numbers of cases who received additional anesthetic in the operation had no statistical significance among the three groups (all P > 0.05), but compared with the sham electroacupuncture group and blank group, the total dose of painkillers in the first 24 h after operation was reduced in the electroacupuncture group [(2.43 +/- 1.08) tablets vs (3.23 +/- 1.33) tablets, (3.10 +/- 1.22) tablets], and the score of most severity pain was also decreased (6.65 +/- 1.00 vs 7.48 +/- 0.96, 7.25 +/- 1.19), besides, the sleeping time in the night of surgery was increased [(220.63 +/- 85.50) min vs (162.00 +/- 92.69) min, (151.50 +/- 80.01) min, all P < 0.05].</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The electroacupuncture at Changqiang (GV 1) and Chengshan (BL 57) 30 min before surgery has effects of preemptive analgesia on postoperative pain for patients with mixed hemorrhoids.</p>

Clinical and Imaging Characteristics of Top of the Basilar Syndrome / 中国康复理论与实践

@#ObjectiveTo analyze the characteristics of top of the basilar syndrome (TOBS) in clinic and imaging.MethodsData of 31 TOBS cases were analyzed retrospectively.ResultsThe clinical features of TOBS patients were sudden unconsciousness or vertigo and dyskinesia of the limbs, the dismovement of the eyeballs, abnormality of the pupils, partial blindness or cortical blindness, hypesthesia, disturbance of memory and counting. CT and MRI showed multi-infarction included thalami, occipital lobe, cerebellum, midbrain, temporal lobe.ConclusionTOBS can be diagnosed accurately according to clinical features and imaging signs.