Effect of Acupuncture on Physical Symptoms and Quality of Life in Treatment-Resistant Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder: a Single-Arm Longitudinal Study.

Background: Acupuncture is a non-pharmacological therapy used clinically for mood disorders. Relief of physical symptoms with acupuncture treatment may lead to relief of depressive symptoms and improvement of quality of life (QoL). Few studies have examined the effect of acupuncture on the physical symptoms and QoL of patients with mood disorders. Objectives: To examine the effect of acupuncture on physical symptoms and QoL of patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). Methods: This prospective, single-arm, longitudinal study included patients with MDD and BD from an outpatient psychiatric clinic. Acupuncture was performed weekly for 12 weeks in combination with regular treatment, with fixed acupoints and individualized treatment for each patient. Psychiatric symptoms were evaluated using the Himorogi Self-Rating Depression Scale (HSDS) and Himorogi Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (HSAS). Physical symptoms such as physical pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, and sleep disorders were evaluated using the Japanese version of the Somatic Symptom Scale-8 (SSS-8) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). QoL was evaluated using the 8-item Short-Form (SF-8) Health Survey. Results: A total of 36 patients (15 MDD and 21 BD patients) were analyzed. After 12 weeks of acupuncture, HSDS and HSAS scores significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Physical symptoms evaluated using SSS-8 and VAS scores also significantly improved (p < 0.05). In particular, neck pain and insomnia improved at an early stage. Among the SF-8 subscales, scores of bodily pain, general health perception, role limitations due to emotional problems, and mental health significantly increased (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture may improve not only psychiatric symptoms but also physical symptoms and QoL in patients with treatment-resistant mood disorders. Further studies are required for confirmation of the preliminary data collected thus far.

Acupuncture for the Treatment of Depression and Physical Symptoms in Chronic Bipolar Disorder: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Bipolar disorder (BD) is typically treated by pharmacotherapy. However, pharmacotherapy alone is often not adequate to cope with the variety of symptoms associated with BD. The present case report describes the therapeutic effects of manual acupuncture on a patient with chronic BD, and multiple concurrent physical symptoms, that did not improve with standard pharmacotherapy. CASE: A 41-year-old woman with type II BD presented with depression, anxiety, and multiple physical symptoms. Her symptoms had first appeared 12 years prior, and she was diagnosed with type II BD 3 years after symptom onset. Although she received standard treatment, including medication and psychotherapy, her symptoms did not improve. Acupuncture treatment aimed at improving psychiatric and physical symptoms was performed weekly for 12 weeks. Depression and anxiety symptoms were evaluated using the Himorogi Self-Rating Depression Scale (HSDS) and Himorogi Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (HSAS) respectively. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate physical symptoms including diarrhea, insomnia, and general malaise. Outcome measures were evaluated before each treatment. RESULTS: Throughout the course of the acupuncture intervention, no changes were made to the patient's psychotropic medication regimen. HSDS and HSAS scores decreased after 12 weeks of acupuncture treatment and improvements in all physical symptoms, as measured by the VAS, were observed. Furthermore, psychiatric symptoms with hypomanic or mixed features were not exacerbated. CONCLUSIONS: In this patient, acupuncture was effective in improving psychiatric and physical symptoms of type II BD. This non-pharmacological intervention may be a viable option for the treatment of BD-associated symptoms.

Evaluation of immunological effects of hochu-ekki-to (TJ-41) prophylactic administration in mice.

We evaluated the immunological effects of a Kampo (Chinese) prescription Hochuekki-to (TJ-41) for 32 weeks and 1 week prophylactically in mice, The splenic natural killer cells (NK) of C57BL/6N mice prophylactically treated with TJ-41 for 32 weeks showed little enhanced cytotoxicity against NK-sensitive YAC-1 targets, but mice treated for 1 week showed significantly enhanced cytotoxicity. TJ-41 administration for 32 weeks increased the splenic NK cell population and CD4/CD8 significantly, but TJ-41 for 1 week was not affected. Further, there were no adverse effects of TJ-41 administration for 32 weeks. Whether or not that duration of administration can have the same beneficial effects on humans await further studies.

Differential expression of hsp60 and hsp70 associated with cytotoxicity under microgravity conditions.

It is known that space flight affects T lymphocyte function in both humans and animals, but there have been no papers dealing with the effect of microgravity conditions for a very short time (i.e., only 10 s). In the present study, the effect of very short time microgravity on the cytotoxicity and surface markers of human activated T lymphocytes, in vitro, was investigated using the drop-shaft type of microgravity experiment system. The levels of heat shock protein 60 and 70 (hsp60 and hsp70) were also quantified in cells exposed to these microgravity conditions. The results showed that not only the cytotoxicity but also the hsp60 levels were remarkably reduced under these conditions.

The combination therapy of Ephedra herb and Loxoprofen caused gastric lesions in mice.

The combination therapy of a Kampo formula and an analgesic-antipyretic agent is often used for the common cold in Japan. We investigated the effect of such a combination therapy, using the Ephedra herb, which is a common ingredient of Kakkon-to and Mao-to, and Loxoprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), on fever induced in an experimental model of mice under strong stress. The combination therapy of Ephedra herb and Loxoprofen caused gastric mucosal lesions and loss of body weight. It is considered that this combination therapy should be avoided because of its adverse effects.