Effect of the optimized traditional acupuncture prescription for accouchement on cervical ripening in late-stage pregnant rats / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the mechanism of the optimized traditional acupuncture prescription for accouchement on cervical ripening based on the molecular biology by observing related indices of cervical ripening in late-stage pregnant rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty initial pregnant Wistar rats were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture (EA) group (n = 10) and a model group (n = 10), and other 10 non-pregnancy female rats with same lot were selected as a blank control group. EA group was treated with the optimized traditional acupuncture prescription for accouchement on the 20th day of pregnant, which performed EA at bilateral "Hegu" (LI 4) for 20 min and then at bilateral "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) for 5 min with 2 Hz/50 Hz sparse-dense wave, while the other groups without acupuncture intervention. The contents of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and interleukin 8 (IL-8) in cervix tissue were detected by ELISA method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the blank control group, the contents of MMP-9 and IL-8 in the model group were increased significantly (both P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the contents of MMP-9 and IL-8 in the EA group were increased significantly (P < or = 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Optimized traditional acupuncture prescription for accouchement can increase the contents of MMP-9 and IL-8 in cervix tissue of late-stage pregnant rats so as to promote cervical ripening, and the mechanism of EA in promoting cervical ripening is explained from the perspective of molecular biology.</p>

Clinical observation on penetration needling combined with electroacupuncture for treatment of post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To probe a method for increasing clinical therapeutic effect of poststroke shoulder-hand syndrome.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty cases of poststroke shoulder-hand syndrome were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, 40 cases in each group. The treatment group were treated by penetration needling combined with electroacupuncture, and the control group with routine acupuncture combined with electroacupuncture, once daily, 5 sessions each week, for 4 weeks. Changes of clinical symptoms, articular mobility and pain score were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The therapeutic effect in the treatment group was significantly better than that in the control group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Penetration needling combined with electroacupuncture, or routine acupuncture combined with electroacupuncture can effectively alleviate pain, improve motion function and reduce edema, but the penetration needling is better than the routine acupuncture for treatment of poststroke shoulder-hand syndrome.</p>