Effects of auricular thumbtack needle on lactation function and TDP-43/Btn1A1/XDH pathway in primiparous women with cesarean section / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effects of auricular thumbtack needle on breast feeding and lactation function in primiparous women with cesarean section, and to explore its mechanism of action from the perspective of lactation-related gene expression.@*METHODS@#One hundred cases of primiparous women with cesarean section were randomly divided into an observation group (50 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a control group (50 cases, 2 cases were eliminated). The patients in the control group were treated with routine obstetric care. Based on the treatment of the control group, the patients in the observation group were treated with auricular thumbtack needle at Neifenmi (CO18), Xiong (AH10), Xiongzhui (AH11), Shenmen (TF4), and Jiaogan (AH6a), etc., with one side of auricular point selected, only once for a total of 3 d. The lactation initiation time, lactation adequacy rate at postpartum 72 h, exclusive breastfeeding rate at postpartum 42 d, and breastfeeding score after treatment were compared between the two groups. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot method were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of TDP-43, Btn1A1 and XDH.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the lactation initiation time in the observation group was earlier than that in the control group (P<0.01), and breastfeeding score in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.01). The lactation adequacy rate at postpartum 72 h was 63.8% (30/47) in the observation group, which was higher than 41.7% (20/48) in the control group (P<0.05). The exclusive breastfeeding rate at postpartum 42 d was 72.3% (34/47) in the observation group, which was higher than 47.9% (23/48) in the control group (P<0.05). The mRNA and protein expression levels of TDP-43 and Btn1A1 in breast milk in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01), while there was no statistically significant difference in mRNA and protein expression of XDH in breast milk between the two groups (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The auricular thumbtack needle in addition to routine care could promote lactation initiation, improve lactation adequacy rate and exclusive breastfeeding rate in primiparous women with cesarean section, and the action mechanism may be related to up-regulation of TDP-43 and Btn1A1 expression.

Effects of Acupuncture on Exercise-induced Cognitive Decline (Part 2) / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

[Objective] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of acupuncture on exercise-induced prolongation of information processing and decrease in attentional resource allocation, excluding the placebo effect.[Design] Crossover, double-blind randomized controlled trial[Settings] Tokyo Ariake University[Subjects] Fifteen healthy men aged 21.1 ± 0.9 years[Methods] We used a handgrip exercise for exercise loading. The handgrip was maintained for six seconds at an intensity of 40% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), followed by rest for four seconds. This was alternately repeated and continued until the subject was incapable of exerting a grip strength of 40% of the MVC. To induce P300, an auditory oddball paradigm was used, and P300 was measured before and after the handgrip exercise. In the same subjects, thumbtack needle (TN) intervention (TN group) and placebo thumbtack needle (PTN) intervention (PTN group) were performed in random order. TN or PTN was applied to ST36, HT7, and GV14 before the handgrip exercise. After the experiment, we asked the subjects and practitioner about the intervention (TN or PTN). The allocation was conducted by a third party who did not participate in the experiment, and the subjects, practitioner, and measurer completed a series of all the experiment procedures and were blinded to the results.[Outcomes] The indicators for measuring the main outcomes were P300 latency and amplitude. reaction time, and masking were indicators for secondary outcomes. [Results and Conclusion] In the PTN group, P300 latency was increased significantly and P300 amplitude was decreased significantly after the handgrip exercise. In the TN group, no significant changes were observed in P300 latency and amplitude after the handgrip exercise. In both groups, reaction time was considerably slower after the handgrip exercise. The k value indicating the degree of agreement between the actual (genuine or placebo) and guessed intervention assignment was k = -0.06 for the practitioner and k = 0.66 for the subjects. No adverse events were found in this study.[Conclusions] The index changes in the TN and PTN in this study were the same as in our previous studies, and acceptable reproducibility was observed. However, the k values indicated that subject masking was inadequate. In the future, the reliability and validity of PTN must be investigated further.

Clinical Study on Intradermal Needle plus Acupoint Application in Preventing Constipation after Acute Craniocerebral Injury / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of intradermal needle plus acupoint application with Da Huang (Radix et Rhizoma Rhei) in preventing constipation after craniocerebral injury. Method Two hundred patients with acute craniocerebral injury were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 100 cases each. The control group received conventional nursing care to prevent constipation, while the treatment group was additionally treated with intradermal needle plus acupoint application with Da Huang (Radix et Rhizoma Rhei). The occurrence of constipation within a week was observed in the two groups. Result The occurrence rate of constipation was 12.0％ in the treatment group versus 32.0％ in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion Intradermal needle plus acupoint application can effectively reduce the frequency of constipation in patients with acute craniocerebral injury.

Clinical Observations on the Therapeutic Effect of Ear Acupoint Thumbtack Needle Embedding on Senile Primary Insomnia / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of ear acupoint thumbtack needle embedding in treating senile primary insomnia.Method Seventy patients were allocated, using a random number table, to observation and control groups, 35 cases each. The observation group received ear acupoint thumbtack needle embedding with alternate selections of left and right ear acupoints and the control group took estazolam tablets, 1 mg once before bedtime. Both groups were treated once every other day, for 30 days. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score were recorded before and after treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects were evaluated.Result The total efficacy rate was 91.4% in the observation group and 82.9% in the control group. It was higher in the observation group than in the control group; there was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). In the observation group, the sleep quality, sleep efficiency and daytime dysfunction scores and the total score were lower after treatment than before (P<0.05). In the control group, the sleep duration and sleep efficiency scores and the total score were lower after treatment than before (P<0.05). After treatment, the sleep disturbance and daytime dysfunction scores and the total score were lower in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05) and the sleep duration score was lower in the control group than in the observation group (P<0.05). In both groups, the ISI score was lower after treatment than before (P<0.05). It decreased more significantly in the observation group than in the control group; therewas a statistically significant difference (P<0.05).Conclusion Ear acupoint thumbtack needle embedding has a definite therapeutic effect on senile primary insomnia. It can reduce sleep disturbances, improve daytime function and decrease insomnia severity in the patients.

Observations on the Efficacy of Interactive Thumbtack Needle Embedding plus Rehabilitation Instruction in Treating Knee Osteoarthritis / 上海针灸杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy of interactive thumbtack needle embedding plus rehabilitation instruction in treating knee osteoarthritis.Method Seventy outpatients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly allocated to acupuncture-rehabilitation and control groups, 35 cases each. The control group received rehabilitation instruction alone and the treatment group, interactive thumbtack needle embedding in addition. The function of the affected knee was assessed using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score and manual muscle test (MMT) in the two groups of patients before and after two courses of treatment. The therapeutic effect was evaluated using Nimodipine method accordingto 2002Guidelines on Clinical Study of New Chinese Herbal Medicine(trial).ResultAfter two courses of treatment, there were a statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in the WOMAC total score, pain score, stiffness score and function score in both groups (P0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in therapeutic effect between the two groups (P<0.05).ConclusionInteractive thumbtack needle embedding plus rehabilitation instruction has a definite therapeutic effect on knee osteoarthritis.

Observations on the Efficacy of Thumbtack Needle Acupuncture for Sympathetic Cervical Spondylosis / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of thumbtack needle acupuncture in treating sympathetic cervical spondylosis.Methods Seventy-seven patients with sympathetic cervical spondylosis were randomly allocated to a treatment group of 37 cases and a control group of 40 cases. The same acupoints were selected in the two groups. The treatment group received thumbtack needle acupuncture and the control group, conventional acupuncture. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups after two courses of treatment.Results The total efficacy rate was 91.9% in the treatment group and 92.5% in the control group; there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05).Conclusions Thumbtack needle acupuncture s is an effective way to treat sympathetic cervical spondylosis. The patients have good compliance.

Clinical Study of Point Neiguan Thumbtack Needle Prevention and Treatment of Gastroscopy-induced Nausea and Vomiting / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of point Neiguan thumbtack needles in preventing and treating gastroscopy-induced nausea and vomiting.Methods Two hundred patients meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated to treatment and control groups, 100 cases each. Before gastroscopy, both groups took lidocaine mucilage and the treatment group received point Neiguan thumbtack needle therapy additionally. Nausea and vomiting were observed in both groups of patients during gastroscopy.Results There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in nausea and vomiting severity and patients’ satisfaction between the two groups (P<0.05).Conclusions Point Neiguan thumbtack needle therapy can relieve gastroscopy-induced nausea and vomiting and raise patients’ satisfaction.

Effects of acupuncture treatment for menstrual pain.-Study by Ringheaded thumbtack needle- / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

[Objective]We examined the effects of acupuncture treatment at Sanyinjiao (SP6) on menstrual pain in female students. In addition, the correlation between the effects of acupuncture treatment and the neurosis were evaluated.<BR>[Methods]Fifty-one female students were participated in this study as the subject. Acupuncture treatment using Ringheaded thumbtack needle were performed to bilateral SP6 for the three months. Non-treatment periods for three months were set in before and after acupuncture period, respectively. Patients received the Ringheaded thumbtack needle through four days in a week. The effectiveness of treatment was evaluated using the categorical scale for the severity of menstrual pain accompany with numbers of taking drugs for analgesic. To evaluate the correlation between effects of acupuncture and neurosis, the tendency of neurosis was confirmed by cornel medical index (CMI) and the perimenstrual symptoms were confirmed by menstrual distress questionnaire (MDQ).<BR>[Results]Twenty-seven subjects were analyzed for evaluation in this present study. During Ringheaded thumbtack needle treatment periods (acupuncture periods), menstrual pain had reduced into 48%of subjects. The number of taking drugs for analgesic was decreased with the reduction of severity of menstrual pain during acupuncture periods (p<0.05). The correlation between the effect of acupuncture and the tendency of neurosis were observed. Acupuncture improved the menstrual pain in the subjects who belong to category I and/or II of CMI. However, no remarkable changes were observed in the III and/or IV subjects of CMI. Furthermore, the high score of fives specific pain into MDQ (shoulder pain, headache, etc) and negative feelings factor were obtained in subjects who accompany with strong menstrual pain still after acupuncture<BR>[Discussion]These findings suggest that menstrual pain was reduced by Ringheaded thumbtack needle to bilateral SP6. Additionally this result was influenced by a psychological factor and/or some kind of pain which is not only menstrual pain.