Impacts on the appetite regulating factors of infantile anorexia treated with acupuncture at Sifeng (EX-UE 10) / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the dynamic change and clinical efficacy of acupuncture at Sifeng (EX-UE 10) on appetite regulating factors in the serum of infantile anorexia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty cases, in compliance with the diagnostic criteria, aged from 3 to 6 years were randomized into an acupuncture group and a medication group, 40 cases in each one. Additionally, a healthy control group (30 cases) was set up. In the acupuncture group, the pricking method was adopted at Sifeng (EX-UE 10) with the three-edged needle. A few light yellow, transparent viscous liquid or blood was squeezed out after pricking. The treatment was given once a week, for 4 weeks totally. In the medication group, erkangning syrup was administered, 3 times a day, for 4 weeks totally. The ghrelin, leptin and neuropeptide Y (NPY), and the clinical efficacy were observed before and after treatment in each group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The levels of ghrelin and NPY before treatment in acupuncture group and the medication group were lower apparently than those in the healthy control group (all P < 0.01), but the level of leptin was higher appa-rently than that in the healthy control group (P < 0.01). After treatment, the levels of ghrelin and NPY were higher apparently than those before treatment in the acupuncture group (both P < 0.01), and the level of leptin was lower apparently than that before treatment (P < 0.01). All of the above indices in the acupuncture group were improved obviously after treatment as compared with those in the medication group (all P < 0.01). The remarkable and effective rate were 82.5% (33/40) and 32.5% (13/40) and the total effective rate were 95.0% (38/40) and 45.0% (18/40) in the acupuncture group and medication group separately, the results in the acupuncture group were superior to the medication group (both P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture at Sifeng (EX-UE 10) effectively promotes the secretion of ghrelin and NPY and inhibit leptin. It effectively promotes appetite for the children and the efficacy is superior to erkangning syrup.</p>

Study on clinical efficacy of combination of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine in treatment of pit viper bites and peripheral blood inflammatory factors / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical efficacy of combination of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine in the treatment of patient bitten by agkistrodon halys pallas, and the changes in peripheral blood inflammatory factors (hs-PCR, IL-6, TNF-alpha).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Ninty-eight patients were divided into three groups according to their hospitalization dates: the western medicine group, in which 32 patients were treated with antivenom serum (6 000 U) for five days, once every day; the traditional Chinese medicine group, in which 32 patients were treated with anti pit viper No. 2 concentrated decoction (300 mL), twice to three times every day, for five days; and the combined traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine group, in which 35 patients were treated with the combination of Chinese and Western medicine treatment described above. Then blood samples of all of patients were obtained, and serum factors (hs-PCR, IL-6, TNF-alpha) in peripheral blood were measured by Elisa assay. Another 30 health volunteers were chosen as the normal control group.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The serum inflammatory factors were significantly higher in all patients of the three groups than that in healthy control before treatment (P < 0.01), and decreased significantly after treatment. In particular, the more remarkable reduction was found in the combined traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine group compared with the western medicine group and the traditional medicine group (P < 0.01). Symptom elimination in the three groups was superior to the western medicine group and the traditional medicine group at the first day and the third day of treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Total clinical effective rate was 100% in the combined traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine group, 84. 37% in the traditional medicine group and 65.62% in the western medicine group, the clinical effective rate of the combined traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine group was notably superior to that of the western medicine group and the traditional medicine group (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The serum inflammatory factors increased significantly in patients bitten by agkistrodon halys pallas. Treatment with the combined traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine can significantly decrease the serum inflammatory factors, and increase clinical effect, with more obvious clinical efficacy compared with the western medicine group and the traditional medicine group.</p>