[Clinical effect of acupuncture combined with traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of oligozoospermia/asthenozoospermia: a meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effect of acupuncture combined with Chinese medicine in the treatment of oligozoospermia/asthenozoospermia. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture combined with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of oligozoospermia/asthenozoospermia published up to February 15, 2019 were searched from databases of CNKI, CBM, Wanfang Data, VIP, PubMed, Embase, and The Cochrane Library. Two reviewers independently performed quality assessment and data extraction of the studies, and RevMan5.3 was used to perform the meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 13 articles with 12 RCTs were included, with a total of 1 183 patients. The meta-analysis showed that acupuncture combined with TCM achieved a significantly higher pregnancy rate than TCM alone in the treatment of oligozoospermia/asthenozoospermia(risk ratio [RR] ＝1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13－1.90，P＝0.004). The patients treated with acupuncture combined with TCM had a significantly higher effective rate than those treated with TCM alone (RR＝1.17, 95% CI：1.10－1.24, P<0.000 01). Compared with TCM alone, acupuncture combined with TCM achieved significantly better improvements in sperm survival rate (mean difference [MD]＝8.28, 95% CI: 6.48－10.08, P<0.000 01), sperm motility (MD＝17.01, 95%CI：11.06－22.96, P<0.000 01), sperm concentration (MD＝8.71, 95%CI：5.92－11.50, P<0.000 01), and number of grade A sperms (MD＝6.39, 95%CI：5.27－7.50, P<0.000 01). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture combined with TCM has a better clinical effect than TCM alone in the treatment of oligozoospermia/asthenozoospermia. Due to the low methodological quality of the studies included in this analysis, acupuncture combined with TCM in the treatment of oligozoospermia/asthenozoospermia should be used based on patients' conditions in clinical practice.

[Effect on sperm quality of asthenospermia and oligospermia treated with grain-moxibustion combined with medicine therapy].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of grain-moxibustion combined with medicine therapy for asthenospermia and oligospermia. METHODS: A tatal of 60 patients were randomized into an observation group (30 cases) and a control group (30 cases) according to 1︰1 ratio. In the control group, vitamin E capsules were taken orally one capsule each time, twice a day, and Wuzi Yanzong pills 6 g each time, three times a day for a total of 3 months. In the observation group, grain-moxibustion was applied at Guanyuan (CV 4)，Shenshu (BL 23) and Zusanli (ST 36) based on the control group, once a week for 3 months, with a total of 12 times. The sperm concentration and sperm progressive motility were measured by automatic sperm quality analysis system in the two groups, and the clinical effects were compared. Sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) in the observation group was measured by sperm nucleus chromosome structure assay (SCSA). RESULTS: ①The sperm concentrations and sperm progressive motilities after 1-month, 2-month and 3-month of treatment were increased compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.01), and they were increased with time. In the two groups, 2-month and 1-month of treatment, 3-month and 2-month of treatment were compared, the sperm concentrations and sperm progressive motilities were significantly increased (P<0.01). The sperm concentrations after 1-month, 2-month and 3-month of treatment in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01), the sperm progressive motility after 3-month of treatment in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). ②After 3-month of treatment，the DFI in the observation group was significantly reduced compared with that before treatment (P<0.01). ③The total effective rate in the observation group after 3-month of treatment was 86.7% (26/30), which was superior to 63.3% (19/30) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Grain-moxibustion combined with medicine therapy can improve sperm concentration and sperm progressive motility, enhance the integrity of sperm DNA.

The effects of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The effects of acupuncture on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes remain controversial. And the variation in participant, interventions, outcomes studied, and trial design may relate to the efficacy of adjuvant acupuncture. METHODS: We searched digital databases for relevant studies, including Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library and some Chinese databases up to December 2018, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of acupuncture on women undergoing IVF. We included studies with intervention groups using needling, and control groups consisting of no acupuncture or sham (placebo) acupuncture. Primary outcomes were clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR). Meta-regression and subgroup analysis were conducted on the basis of eight pre-specified covariates to investigate the variances of the effects of adjuvant acupuncture on pregnancy rates and the sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Twenty-seven studies with 6116 participants were included. The pooled clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) from all of acupuncture groups was significantly greater than that of control groups (RR 1.21, 95% CI: 1.07-1.38), whereas the pooled live birth rate (LBR) was not. Meta-regression subgroup analysis showed a more significant benefit of acupuncture for repeated IVF cycle proportion (number of women with a history of prior unsuccessful IVF attempt divided by number of women included in each trial) ≥ 50% group (CPR: RR 1.60, 95% CI: 1.28-2.00; LBR: RR 1.42, 95% CI: 1.05-1.92), and this covariate explained most of the heterogeneity (CPR and LBR: adjusted R2 = 100 and 87.90%). Similar results were found between CPR and number of acupuncture treatments (CPR: p = 0.002, adjusted R2 = 51.90%), but not LBR. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis finds a benefit of acupuncture for IVF outcomes in women with a history of unsuccessful IVF attempt, and number of acupuncture treatments is a potential influential factor. Given the poor reporting and methodological flaws of existing studies, studies with larger scales and better methodologies are needed to verify these findings.

[Analysis on CHENG Dan-an's exploration of quantification acupuncture and moxibustion stimulation].

As a physical therapy, there is a certain relationship between the stimulating quantity and the efficacy of acumoxibustion therapy. However, because of the thinking mode of traditional Chinese medicine in the ancient times, qualitative descriptions about acu-moxibustion stimulation in the classical literature are predominating. Mr. CHENG Dan-an, a famous master and educator of acupuncturology, conducted a series of exploration in both theory and clinical practice. In the present paper, the authors summarize Mr. Cheng's viewpoints about the quantification of acupuncture intervention from 1) the number of the selected acupoints in a session of treatment, 2) gauges and materials of the filiform acupuncture needles, 3) stimulating strength of the needling, including the duration of acupuncture needle retaining, depth of needling and intensity of the needling manipulation, 4) frequency of the acupuncture intervention (interval between every two sessions of treatment). Regarding the moxibustion therapy, the stimulating quantity including the duration of the ignited moxa and the number of moxa cones applied at the acupoint area should be varied according to the patients' physical constitutions, ages and the state of the illness or clinical conditions. Mr. Cheng also put forward his opinions about the quantification standards of moxibustion intervention.

[Comparative study of bloodletting therapy between traditional Chinese medicine and Tibetan medicine].

The comparative study of bloodletting therapy between traditional Chinese medicine and Tibetan medicine in view of history development, theoretic basis, bloodletting location, bloodletting tool, operation method, bloodletting amount, indications, contraindications and the others are conducted in this paper. It is pointed out that the bloodletting therapy could be better carried forward and developed through the interaction and integration of bloodletting therapy between traditional Chinese medicine and Tibetan medicine in term of the theoretic, practical and development patterns under the guidance of these two different medical theoretical systems.

[Professor YANG Zhao-min's contribution to the education of modern acupuncture and moxibustion].

It was completely collected and summarized the teaching history and the relevant historical materials of Professor YANG Zhao-min via consulting the literatures, investigation, interview, etc. in this paper. The summaries indicated that from the beginning of running a school, Professor YANG Zhao-min adhered to the CHENG's moral, worked hard and successfully explored and practiced the training pattern of teaching tour for the personnel training of acupuncture and moxibustion. He established the specialty of acupuncture and moxibustion, formatted courses and inherited the feature of practice teaching. He was in charge of the compilation of textbook and engaged in scientific innovation. He inherited the past and forged ahead into the future and had made the decision to cultivate the personnel of acupuncture and moxibustion. Professor YANG Zhao-min had practiced and developed the modern educational thought from the CHENG Dan-an and had made the important contribution to the training of acupuncture and moxibustion professionals.

[Clinical observation on acupotomy for treatment of simple obesity].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy differences among acupotomy, electroacupuncture and acupuncture for treatment of simple obesity. METHODS: One hundred and five cases were randomly divided into an acupotomy group, an electroacupuncture group and an acupuncture group, 35 cases in each group, and Zhongwan (CV 12), Tianshu (ST 25), Shangjuxu (ST 37), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), etc, were selected in three groups and also with selection of acupoints according to symptoms. The acupotomy group was treated with acupotomy 40 mm in length and 0.6 mm in diameter, the electroacupuncture group with the Han's LH402A electroacupuncture stimulator and the acupuncture group with simple acupuncture treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects of three groups were compared. The obesity signs such as body weight, body mass index (BMI), obesity degree, etc., and blood lipid and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were observed. RESULTS: The markedly effective rate of 91.4% (32/35) in the acupotomy group was higher than that of 71.5% (25/35) in the electroacupuncture group and that of 42.9% (15/35) in the hand acupuncture group (both P<0.05). There were significant differences in the obesity signs and blood fat and FBS of the three groups before and after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01). The differences rates of body weight, BMI, obesity degree, chest circumference, waistline, thighline, waist-hip ratio, total cholesterol before and after treatment in the acupotomy group were all better than those in the electroacupuncture group and in the acupuncture group (all P<0.05), and the differences rates of hipline, FBS in the acupotomy group were better than those in the acupuncture group (both P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Acupotomy treatment can obviously reduce fat, FBS and blood lipid and has obvious therapeutic effects on simple obesity.