Clinical efficacy of different waves of electroacupuncture on knee osteoarthritis and its effect on TGF-β1 in joint fluid / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the therapeutic effects of different waves of electroacupuncture (EA) on knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and to explore the mechanism of different waves of EA on promoting cartilage repair.@*METHODS@#Ninety- seven patients with KOA were randomly divided into a dilatational wave group (32 cases, 2 cases dropped off), a continuous wave group (32 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a discontinuous wave group (33 cases, 3 cases dropped off). The same acupoints of Xuehai (SP 10), Liangqiu (ST 34), Dubi (ST 35) and Neixiyan (EX-LE 4) were selected in the three groups. The dilatational wave (frequency of 2 Hz/10 Hz) was used in the dilatational wave group, the continuous wave (frequency of 10 Hz) was used in the continuous wave group, and the discontinuous wave (frequency of 10 Hz) was used in the discontinuous wave group. All the needles were retained for 30 min. All the treatment was given 3 times a week (on Monday, Wednesday and Friday) for 4 weeks. Lysholm knees scoring scale (LKSS) was used to evaluate the knee joint function before and after treatment, and the content of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the joint effusion before and after treatment was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the total score and each score of LKSS were increased after treatment in the three groups (all <0.05). The improvements of total score, pain score, instability score, swelling score of LKSS in the continuous wave group and the dilatational wave group were superior to those in the discontinuous wave group (all <0.05). The content of TGF-β1 in the joint effusion in each group was increased after treatment (<0.05), and the improvement in dilatational wave group was superior to thoes in the continuous wave group and the discontinuous wave group (all <0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The three different waves of EA could all improve the clinical symptoms of KOA, which may promote cartilage repair by increasing TGF-β1 content. The dilatational wave had the best overall effect, which can be used as a clinical optimal treatment.

Effects of time factors on acupoint sticking therapy for preventing and treating bronchial asthma / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the influence of time factors on acupoint sticking therapy for preventing and treating bronchial asthma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy-one cases were randomly divided into a dog days group (n= 30), a Sanjiu days group (n=21) and a daily days group (n=20). They were all treated with ginger moxibustion plus acupoint sticking of Chinese medicine at Dazhui (GV 14) and Feishu (BL 13) etc. This treatment was applied once at the beginning of the first dog days, the middle dog days and the last dog days respectively in the dog days group, and once at the beginning of the first nine days, the middle nine days and the last nine days in coldest days of winter respectively in the Sanjiu days group, and once every other 10 days during 30 days except the dog days or the Sanjiu days in the daily days group. Their therapeutic effects and quality of life and changes of serum level of interleukin 13 (IL-13) were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate of the dog days group was 83.3% (25/30), the Sanjiu days group and the daily days group were 61.9% (13/21) and 65.0% (15/20) respectively, with no significant differences among three groups (all P>0.05). After treatment, there were no significant differences in quality of life and changes of serum level of IL-13 among three groups, but there were significant differences between before and after treatment (P<0.01, P<0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupoint sticking is an effective therapy for bronchial asthma. It can be practiced in the whole year for the result of this study that medicines and acupoints are the leading factors of this therapy and the time factors have no influence on therapeutic effect.</p>

Clinical study on the treatment of knee osteoarthritis of Shen-Sui insufficiency syndrome type by electroacupuncture / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinical effificacy of electroacupuncture (EA) on treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA) of Shen ()-Sui () insuffificiency (SSI) syndrome type.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 245 patients (279 knees) of KOA-SSI were randomly assigned to two groups by lottery: 141 knees in the treatment group and 138 knees in the control group. The treatment group was managed with EA at the dominant points of Neixiyan (Ex-LE4) and Waixiyan (Ex-LE5) as well as the conjugate points of Xuanzhong (GB39) and Taixi (KI3) for 30 min, once a day, with 15 days as one course; 2 courses were applied with a 5-day interval in between. The control group was treated with intra-articular injection of 2 mL hyaluronic acid into the affected joint every 7 days for 5 times in total. The clinical effects on the patients in different stages were observed, and their symptom scores of knee and contents of cytokines, including interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), prostaglandin E(2alpha) (PGE(2alpha)) and matrix metalloproteinases-3 (MMP-3), in the knee joint fluid were measured before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The study was completed in 235 patients (263 knees); four patients (7 knees) in the treatment group and six patients (9 knees) in the control group dropped out. Comparison of therapeutic effects (excellent and effective rates) between the two groups showed insignificant differences (P>0.05). Symptom scores of knee and contents of cytokines in the knee flfluid after treatment were lowered signifificantly in the patients of stage I-III in both groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). However, the lowering of the total symptom score of knee in the patients of stage III in the treatment group was more signifificant (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>EA could effectively alleviate the clinical symptoms in KOA patients of stage III, showing an effect superior to that of hyaluronic acid. EA also shows action in suppressing the secretion of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-alpha, PGE(2alpha) and MMP-3 in the knee flfluid.</p>

Effect of OA kneepad on apoptosis genes Bcl-2 and p53 expression in articular cartilage cells of experimental knee osteoarthritis / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of kneepad on expression of Bcl-2 and p53 mRNA of chondrocyte in white rabbits with knee osteoarthritis, so as to explore and treatment mechanism of OA kneepad on apoptosis of chondrocytes of rabbits with knee osteoarthritis in molecular degree.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-four Japanese healthy 6-month-old rabbits (equal male and female,the weight ranging from 2 to 2.2 kg) were used to establish knee osteoarthritis models by modified Hulth method. The rabbits were randomly divided into 6 groups: normal group, model group, control group (microwave), experimental group 1 (electricity), experimental group 2 (thermal), experimental group 3 (kneepad). Ten rabbits in the normal group were breed with conventional method; 9 rabbits in the model group were breed with conventional method after model made; 9 rabbits in the control group were treated with microwave for 30 minutes, one time daily; 9 rabbits in the experimental group 1 were treated with electricity (density wave) for 30 minutes,one time daily;8 rabbits in the experimental group 2 were treated with hot (hot soft membrane) for 30 minutes, one time daily; 9 rabbits in the experiment group 3 were treated with electrothermal (OA knee pad) for 30 minutes, one time daily. All the rabbits were treated for 16 weeks and then sacrificed. The expressions of Bcl-2 and p53 mRNA of chondrocytes in knee joint were detected by using fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At the 16 hthek,th e OD260/OD280 value range of total RNA extracted from rabbit articular cartilage tissue in each group were all at 1.80 to 2.00,wh ich indicates high RNA purity. The p53 relative mRNA in articular cartilage cells of model group,th e control group,th e experimental group 1 ,r oup 2,gr oup 3 were overexpressed,an d Belc2 mRNA expression levels of articular cartilage cells were low expression,an d compared with the normal group there were significant differences (P < 0.01). Belc2, p53 mRNA expression in articular cartilage cells,th ere were significant differences (P < 0.01) between the control group, experimental group 1, group 2, group 3 and model group. The results between the control group, experimental group 1 ,group 2 and group 3 had significant differences (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>OA-kneepad can up-regulate the mRNA expression of Bcl-2 as well as down-regulate the mRNA expression of p53, thereby to inhibit the apoptosis of cartilage cells and delay the degeneration of articular cartilage changes.</p>

Effects of shouwu-huanjing recipe on human sperm motility and fertility in vitro / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of Shouwu-Huanjing Recipe(SWHJR) medicated serum on human sperm motility and fertility in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human sperm was co-cultured with SWHJR medicated serum in vitro. Human sperm motility was evaluated by computer-assisted semen analysis(CASA). The acrosome reaction and the capability of penetrating zona-free hamster eggs were also observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The co-cultured SWHJR medicated serum significantly increased the sperm motion velocity(VAP, VCL, VSL) (P < 0.01), the amplitude of lateral head movement (ALH) and the beat frequency of flagellum(BCF), the density of progressive motility sperms (P < 0.05), the acrosome reaction rate(P < 0.001), the fertilization rate(FR) and the fertilization index (FI) in sperm penetration assay(SPA) test (P < 0.01). The stimulation of SWHJR medicated serum occurred in dose-dependent manner.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SWHJR can improve human sperm motility and fertility.</p>