Exploration and Practice on Artificial Intelligence Information Technology Intergration into Practical Teaching of Acupuncture and Massage in the Background of New Medicine

[Objectives]In order to fully leverage the distinctive features of the top-tier national professional discipline of acupuncture and massage.[Methods]According to the characteristics of the scientific attributes of acupuncture and massage,combined with the top-tier na-tional professional AI practical teaching platform and artificial intelligence-related information technology,together with the teaching team with rich teaching experience.[Results]Innovative reforms and practical explorations are being conducted to integrate AI information technology into acupuncture and massage practical teaching under the background of new medicine.[Conclusions]Through practical research,the quali-ty of the practical teaching of students in acupuncture and massage major has been improved,playing a leading and exemplary role in related majors across the country.

The Therapeutic Effects of Electrical Acupuncture and Auricular-Plaster in 32 Cases of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Objective: To observe the therapeutic effects of electrical acupuncture and auricular-plaster therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Method: 64 CFS patients were randomly divided into two groups. 32 cases in the treatment group were treated by the electrical acupuncture and auricular-plaster therapy, and 32 cases in the control group with oral hydrocortisone. Results: The total effective rates were respectively 93.75% in the treatment group and 75.00% in the control group, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: Electrical acupuncture and auricular-plaster therapy may show a better anti-fatigue effect than that of routine Western drugs.

Cancer stem cells: a target for overcoming therapeutic resistance and relapse

Cancer stem cells(CSCs) are a small subset of cells in cancers that are thought to initiate tumorous transformation and promote metastasis, recurrence, and resistance to treatment. Growing evidence has revealed the existence of CSCs in various types of cancers and suggested that CSCs differentiate into diverse lineage cells that contribute to tumor progression. We may be able to overcome the limitations of cancer treatment with a comprehensive understanding of the biological features and mechanisms underlying therapeutic resistance in CSCs. This review provides an overview of the properties, biomarkers, and mechanisms of resistance shown by CSCs. Recent findings on metabolic features, especially fatty acid metabolism and ferroptosis in CSCs, are highlighted, along with promising targeting strategies. Targeting CSCs is a potential treatment plan to conquer cancer and prevent resistance and relapse in cancer treatment.

Development of small molecule drugs targeting immune checkpoints

Immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)are used to relieve and refuel anti-tumor immunity by blocking the interaction,transcription,and translation of co-inhibitory immune checkpoints or degrading co-inhibitory immune checkpoints.Thousands of small molecule drugs or biological materials,especially antibody-based ICIs,are actively being studied and antibodies are currently widely used.Limitations,such as anti-tumor efficacy,poor membrane permeability,and unneglected tolerance issues of antibody-based ICIs,remain evident but are thought to be overcome by small molecule drugs.Recent structural studies have broadened the scope of candidate immune checkpoint molecules,as well as innovative chemical inhibitors.By way of comparison,small molecule drug-based ICIs represent superior oral bioavailability and favorable pharmacokinetic features.Several ongoing clinical trials are exploring the synergetic effect of ICIs and other therapeutic strategies based on multiple ICI functions,including immune regulation,anti-angiogenesis,and cell cycle regulation.In this review we summarized the current progression of small molecule ICIs and the mechanism underlying immune checkpoint proteins,which will lay the foundation for further exploration.

Activated and deactivated functional brain areas in the Deqi state: A functional MRI study

We compared the activities of functional regions of the brain in the Deqi versus non-Deqi state, as reported by physicians and subjects cludng acupuncture, Twelve healthy volunteers received sham and true needling at the Waiguan （TE5） acupoint. Real-time cerebral functional MRI showed that compared with non-sensation after sham needling, true needling activated Brodmann areas 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 20, 21, 37, 39, 40, 43, and 47, the head of the caudate nucleus, the parahippocampal gyrus, thalamus and red nucleus. True needling also deactivated Brodmann areas 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9. 10. 18.24.31.40 and 46.

EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE ON CEREBRAL IMAGES IN AUTISM CHILDREN

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture on images in autism children. Methods; A total of 27 cases of autism children were subjected into this study. By using a SPECT, the cerebral images were collected before and after acupuncture treatment and analyzed according to the recommended methods in 《Clinical Nuclear Medicine》 for assessing the state of blood flow, radioactivity quantity distribution and radioactivity count in bilateral hemispheres. 'JIN's three-needling' was employed. The acupuncture treatment was given once every other day, with 4 months being a therapeutic course and an interval of one month between two courses. Results: After acupuncture treatment, of the 22 cases, 20 had remarkable improvement and 2 had improvement in cerebral blood flow, with the total effective rate being 90.8%. Before the treatment there were significant differences between the left and right cerebrum (P<0. 001), and between the left and right frontal lobes in radioactive areas (P<0.01); however, after treatment, no differences were found between them (P>0.05). After treatment, the radioactivity count in the whole brain decreased significantly in comparison with that of pretreatment (P<0.01). It indicates the improvement of cerebral blood flow and cellular metabolism after the treatment. Conclusion: Acupuncture can significantly improve cerebral blood flow in autism children.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON MOXIBUSTION AT ZUSANLI(ST 36) AND LIANGMEN (ST 21) INDUCING HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN 70 (HSP70) EXPRESSION TO RESIST OXIDATIVE INJURY OF GASTRIC MUCOSA

To observe effect of moxibustion at Zusanli （足三里 ST 36） and Liangmen （梁门 ST 21 ） on expression of heat shock protein 70 （HSP70） in gastric mucosa of the rat of stress ulcer （SU） to explore the mechanism of moxibustion in resisting oxidative injury of the gastric mucosa. Methods： Sixty SD rats were evenly randomized into 4 groups, a blank group, a model group, an acupoint moxibustion group and a non-acupoint moxibustion group. Water restraint stress （WRS） method was used to make stress gastric ulcer rat model. The ulcerative index （Ul） of gastric mucosa was evaluated by using GUTH method, the gastric mu- cosa blood flux （GMBF） was detected by a laser Doppler bloodflow monitor, and HSP70 expression and malondialdehyde （MDA） content in the gastric mucosa were determined respectively with immunohistochemical and thiobarbiturate methods. Results： Moxibustion at Zusanli （ST 36） and Liangmen （ST 21 ） significantly de- creased Ul, up-regulated HSP70 expression, increased GMBF, and decreased MDA content in the gastric mucosa in the rat of stress gastric ulcer, with significant differences as compared with the model group and the non-acupoint moxibustion group （P 〈 0.05 or P 〈 0.01 ）. Conclusion： Moxibustion at Zusanli （ST 36） and Liangmen （ST 21 ） can induce high expression of HSP70 and decrease MDA content in the gastric mucosa, so as to resist oxidative injury, with relative acupoint specificity.

A Comparative Study on the Acupoints of Specialty of Baihui, Shuigou and Shenmen in Treating Vascular Dementia

Objective： To study the relative specialty of the acupoints of Baihui （DU20）, Shuigou （DU26） and Shenmen （HTT） in treating vascular dementia （VD）. Methods： Fifty patients suffering from VD were divided into 5 groups randomly and treated by conventional acupuncture for hemiplegia, or conventional acupuncture plus needling in DU20, DU26, HT7 respectively or simultaneously. Clinical symptoms were observed, and the scales such as Hasegawa＇s dementia scale-recension （HDS-R）, activities of daily living （ADL） and functional activities questionnaire （FAQ） were used for assessment before and after acupuncture treatment. The scores were processed statistically. Results： DU20 and HT7 could improve the abilities of memory, orientation, reaction and reduce adamancy and trance. Bedsides, DU 20 was helpful in improving the abilities of understanding, calculating and social adapting. While DU26 is helpful in treating retardation, failure in daily activities, trance and poor memory. The combination of the 3 acupoints could improve the intelligence and social adapting ability of VD patients. Conclusion： DU20, DU26 and HT7 had its own effect in treating VD, but the effect of three points used in combination was the best.

Efficacyand Safetyof Huashi Baidu Granules in Treating Patients with SARS-CoV-2Omicron Variant: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Huashi Baidu Granules(HSBD)in treating patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)Omicron variant.Methods:A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted during COVID-19 Omicron epidemic in the Mobile Cabin Hospital of Shanghai New International Expo Center from April 1st to May 23rd,2022.All COVID-19 patients with asymptomatic or mild infection were assigned to the treatment group(HSBD users)and the control group(non-HSBD users).After propensity score matching in a 1:1 ratio,496 HSBD users of treatment group were matched by propensity score to 496 non-HSBD users.Patients in the treatment group were administrated HSBD(5 g/bag)orally for 1 bag twice a day for 7 consecutive days.Patients in the control group received standard care and routine treatment.The primary outcomes were the negative conversion time of nucleic acid and negative conversion rate at day 7.Secondary outcomes included the hospitalized days,the time of the first nucleic acid negative conversion,and new-onset symptoms in asymptomatic patients.Adverse events(AEs)that occurred during the study were recorded.Further subgroup analysis was conducted in vaccinated(378 HSBD users and 390 non-HSBD users)and unvaccinated patients(118 HSBD users and 106 non-HSBD users).Results:The median negative conversion time of nucleic acid in the treatment group was significantly shortened than the control group[3 days(IQR:2-5 days)vs.5 days(IQR:4-6 days);P<0.01].The negative conversion rate of nucleic acid in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group at day 7(91.73%vs.86.90%,P=0.014).Compared with the control group,the hospitalized days in the treatment group were significantly reduced[10 days(IQR:8-11 days)vs.11 days(IQR:10.25-12 days);P<0.01].The time of the first nucleic acid negative conversion had significant differences between the treatment and control groups[3 days(IQR:2-4 days)vs.5 days(IQR:4-6 days);P<0.01].The incidence of new-onset symptoms including cough,pharyngalgia,expectoration and fever in the treatment group were lower than the control group(P<0.05 or P<0.01).In the vaccinated patients,the median negative conversion time and hospitalized days were significantly shorter than the control group after HSDB treatment[3days(IQR:2-5days)vs.5 days(IQR:4-6 days),P<0.01;10 days(IQR:8-11 days)vs.11 days(IQR:10-12 days),P<0.01].In the unvaccinatedpatients,HSBD treatment efficiently shorten the median negative conversion time and hospitalized days[4 days(IQR:2-6 days)vs.5 days(IQR:4-7 days),P<0.01;10.5 days(IQR:8.75-11 days)vs.11.0 days(IQR:10.75-13 days);P<0.01].No serious AEs were reported during the study.Conclusion:HSBD treatment significantly shortened the negative conversion time of nuclear acid,the length of hospitalization,and the time of the first nucleic acid negative conversion in patients infectedwith SARS-COV-2Omicronvariant(Trial registry No.ChiCTR2200060472).

Anti-aging effects of moxa cone moxibustion As a free radical scavenger complement

Therapies that complement free radical scavenging are an important approach for treating aging in the brain. In the present study, two formulations of moxa cone moxibustion were applied at acupoints Zusanfi （ST 36） and Xuanzhong （GB 39）, and at acupoints Baihui （DU 20） and Guanyuan （RN 4）, in D-galactose-induced senile mice. The results revealed that moxa cone moxibustion improved total superoxide dismutase and Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase activity in the homogenates of the cerebral tissue, as well as ameliorating deficits in neuronal morphology and neuronal density in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal CA3. Moxa cone moxibustion also enhanced learning and memory functions of senile mice. Moxa cone moxibustion at Zusanli, Xuanzhong, Baihuiand Guanyuan acupoints can thus be used to complement free radical scavengers, with efficacy that is equal to that of electroacupuncture at Zusanliand Xuanzhong, and superior to that of nimodipine treatment.

Intervention of Peiyuan Huayu Decoction on the neuron damage in model rats with acute subdural hematoma

Objective:To study the intervention effect of Peiyuan Huayu Decoction on the neuron damage in model rats with acute subdural hematoma (ASDH).Methods: 160 SD rats were randomly divided into four groups, and the ASDH model rats were made by stereotactic autoblood injection, and sham operation group received craniotomy without blood injection. Sham operation group and model group were normally bred after model establishment, and 6 h after model establishment, the treatment group received intragastric administration of Peiyuan Huayu Decoction, and control group received intragastric administration of Piracetam Tablets, 1 time a day. On the 1d, 3d, 5d and 7d after model establishment, the general conditions of rats (activity, food intake and mental state) were observed, blood was collected via auricula dextra, ELISA method was used to determine peripheral plasma NSE and S100β protein contents, routine HE staining was conducted after perfusion fixation, the neurons in blood injection side of brain tissue were counted, and the neuron damage was observed.Results: 26 rats were dead in the experiment. The general conditions of sham operation group were significantly better than those of other groups, treatment group was significantly better than model group and control group on the 5d group (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference on the 1d, 3d and 7d (P>0.05);neuron count of sham operation group was basically stable, treatment group was not different from model group and control group on the 1d (P>0.05), treatment group was better than model group (P<0.05), and not different from control group (P>0.05) on the 3d, and treatment group was better than model group and control group on the 5d and 7d (P<0.05);peripheral plasma S100β protein and NSE contents of sham operation group were at lower levels, treatment group was not significantly different from model group and control group on the 1d (P>0.05), S100β protein and NSE contents decreased significantly on the 3d, and treatment group was significantly different from model group and control group (P<0.05), S100β protein and NSE contents increased on the 5d and 7d, the increase in treatment group was slower than that in model group and control group, and there was significant difference (P<0.05).Conclusion:Peiyuan Huayu Decoction has obvious protective effect on the neurons in ASDH model rats, and this effect may be based on the inhibition of secondary neuron damage.

Acupuncture-Neuroimaging Research Trends over Past Two Decades:A Bibliometric Analysis

Objective:To identify topics attracting growing research attention as well as frontier trends of acupuncture-neuroimaging research over the past two decades.Methods:This paper reviewed data in the published literature on acupuncture neuroimaging from 2000 to 2020,which was retrieved from the Web of Science database.Cite Space was used to analyze the publication years,countries,institutions,authors,keywords,co-citation of authors,journals,and references.Results:A total of 981 publications were included in the final review.The number of publications has increased in the recent 20 years accompanied by some fluctuations.Notably,the most productive country was China,while Harvard University ranked first among institutions in this field.The most productive author was Tian J with the highest number of articles(50),whereas the most co-cited author was Hui KKS(325).Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine(92)was the most prolific journal,while Neuroimage was the most co-cited journal(538).An article written by Hui KKS(2005)exhibited the highest co-citation number(112).The keywords"acupuncture"(475)and"electroacupuncture"(0.10)had the highest frequency and centrality,respectively.Functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)ranked first with the highest citation burst(6.76).Conclusion:The most active research topics in the field of acupuncture-neuroimaging over the past two decades included research type,acupoint specificity,neuroimaging methods,brain regions,acupuncture modality,acupoint specificity,diseases and symptoms treated,and research type.Whilst research frontier topics were"nerve regeneration","functional connectivity","neural regeneration","brain network","fMRI"and"manual acupuncture".

Clinical efficacy of Buzhong Yiqi decoction(补中益气汤)in the treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia with multi-drug resistant bacteria:a prospective,randomized,multicenter controlled trial

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Buzhong Yiqi decoction(补中益气汤,BZYQ)in the treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia(HAP)with multi-drug-resistant bacteria(MDRB).METHODS:This 28-day study was conducted at 5 clinical centers in Shanghai.The eligible patients were randomly assigned(1∶1)into the intervention group(BZYQ plus conventional Western Medicine therapy)and control group(conventional Western Medicine therapy).The primary outcomes were the clinical response,clinical pulmonary infection score(CPIS),and microbiologic response.The secondary outcomes were the 28-day allcause mortality(ACM),Acute Physiology and Chronic Health EvaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ)score,ventilator weaning rate,length of mechanical ventilation(MV),length of hospital stay,and changes of infection indicators.RESULTS:Altogether 83 subjects in the intervention group and 85 subjects in the control group were analyzed.The clinical success rate(48.2%)and the pathogen eradication rate(59.0%)of the intervention group were all better than those of the control group(32.9%and 38.9%,respectively)with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).The CPIS score of the intervention group(8.9±1.7)was lower than that of the control group(9.6±2.5)(P<0.05).The length of MV in the intervention group[(13.7±6.4)d]was significantly shorter than that of the control group[(17.2±7.2)d](P<0.05).The 28-day ACM of the intervention group(13.33%)was lower than that of the control group(21.2%)with no statistically significant difference(P>0.05).The differences between two groups in ventilator weaning rate,length of hospital stay,and APACHEⅡscore were not statistically significant(P>0.05).The intervention group displayed decreases in white blood cell count,C-reactive protein,neutrophil percentage,and procalcitonin at day 28 compared with baseline(P<0.05).No serious adverse events occurred in either group during the 28-day follow-up.CONCLUSION:BZYQ may be an effective therapeutic option for the management of HAP with MDRB.

Reyanning Mixture on Asymptomatic or Mild SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children and Adolescents:A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: To assess the effect and safety of Reyanning Mixture(RYN) in treating asymptomatic or mild severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-Co V-2) infection in children and adolescents. Methods: This is a prospective, open-label, randomized control ed trial. Patients aged 1–17 years and diagnosed with asymptomatic or mild coronavirus disease-2019(COVID-19) were assigned to an intervention group(RYN plus standard care) and a control group(standard care) according to a randomization list. The primary outcomes were SARS-Co V-2 negative conversion time. Secondary outcomes included negative conversion rate on days 3 and 7, hospital length of stay, symptom relief rate, new-onset symptoms of asymptomatic infected patients, and progressive disease rate. The cycle threshold(Ct) values of ORF1ab or N genes were also tested. Results: A total of 214 patients in the intervention group and 217 in the control group were analyzed. The SARS-CoV-2 negative conversion time was significantly shortened in the intervention group [5 days(interquartile range(IQR): 5–6) vs. 7 days(IQR: 6–7), P<0.01]. By days 3 and 7, the negative conversion rates were significantly higher in the intervention group(day 3: 32.7% vs. 21.2%, P=0.007;day 7: 75.2% vs. 60.8%, P=0.001). Ct values significantly increase on day 2 [ORF1ab gene: 35.62(IQR: 29.17–45.00) vs. 34.22(IQR: 28.41–39.41), P=0.03;N gene: 34.97(IQR: 28.50–45.00) vs. 33.51(IQR: 27.70–38.25), P=0.024] and day 3 [ORF1ab gene: 38.00(IQR: 32.72–45.00) vs. 35.81(IQR: 29.96–45.00), P=0.003;N gene: 37.16(IQR: 32.01–45.00) vs. 35.26(IQR: 29.09–45.00), P=0.01]. No significant difference was found in hospital length of stay between the two groups(P>0.05). Symptoms of cough were significantly improved(82.2% vs. 70.0%, P=0.02) and wheezing was significantly reduced(0.7% vs. 12.9%, P<0.01) in the intervention group compared with the control group. During the trial, no disease progression or serious adverse events were reported. Conclusion: Adding RYN to standard care may be a safe and effective treatment for children with asymptomatic and mild SARS-Co V-2 infection.(Registration No. Chi CTR2200060292)

Progress in the mechanism of acupuncture intervention on pain emotion and pain cognition mediated by limbic system

Pain is a complex physiological and psychological activity,involving at least three dimensions,including pain sensation,pain emotion,and pain cognition.Acupuncture can clearly relieve the pain sensation of patients and improve pain emotion and pain cognition induced by pain;acupuncture participates in the multi-dimensional regulation of pain through brain regions of the limbic system such as anterior cingulate cortex(ACC),amygdala(AMY),and hippocampus.By analyzing relevant literature,it has been found that the regulation of acupuncture on pain emotion is mainly related to the activation of pertinent opioid receptors in the ACC,the decrease of the expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK),and the promotion of the expression of glutamic acid(Glu)A1,metabotropic glutamate receptor-1(mGluR1),andγ-aminobutyric acid aminobutyric acid(GABA)B2 protein in the AMY.The regulation of acupuncture on pain cognition is mainly related to the elevation of the expression of protein kinase A(PKA)and phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(phospho-p38 MAPK)and the inhibition of cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP)/PKA/cAMP response element-binding protein(CREB)signaling pathway in the ACC.

Acupuncture combined with medication for postherpetic neuralgia affecting the head and face:a randomized controlled trial

Objective:To observe the efficacy of needling the Xi-Cleft points of yang meridians plus topical surrounding needling and pregabalin in treating postherpetic neuralgia(PHN)affecting the head and face and its influence on quality of life(QOL).Methods:Eighty patients with PHN affecting the head and face were randomized into an acupuncture-medication group and a Western medication group by their visiting sequence,with 40 cases in each group.The Western medication group took pregabalin capsules orally,75 mg each time,twice a day.The dosage could increase to 150 mg each time and twice a day within 1 week based on the efficacy and tolerance.The treatment lasted for 5 weeks.The acupuncture-medication group was given additional surrounding needling at the herpes zoster on the head and face,and Xi-Cleft points of yang meridians were chosen according to the affected area for acupuncture,once every other day,for 5 weeks in total.Results:Prior to treatment,there were no significant differences in the visual analog scale(VAS)and QOL scores between the two groups(both P>O,05).After treatment,VAS and QOL scores dropped significantly in both groups(all P<0.01),and were significantly lower in the acupuncture-medication group than in the Western medication group(both P<0.01).The total effective rate was 67.5%in the Western medication group,versus 92.5%in the acupuncture-medication group,and the b etwee n-group difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion:Based on oral administration of pregabalin,needling the Xi-Cleft points of yang meridians and topical surrounding needling can reduce PHN,notably improve patients'QOL,and produce more significant efficacy than oral administration of pregabalin alone。

Research on Mechanisms of Chinese Medicines in Prevention and Treatment of Postoperative Adhesion

Postoperative adhesion(PA)is currently one of the most unpleasant complications following surgical procedures.Researchers have developed several new strategies to alleviate the formation of PA to a great extent,but so far,no single measure or treatment can meet the expectations and requirements of clinical patients needing complete PA prevention.Chinese medicine(CM)has been widely used for thousands of years based on its remarkable efficacy and indispensable advantages CM treatments are gradually being accepted by modern medicine.Therefore,this review summarizes the formating process of PA and the efficacy and action mechanism of CM treatments,including their pharmacological effects,therapeutic mechanisms and advantages in PA prevention.We aim to improve the understanding of clinicians and researchers on CM prevention in the development of PA and promote the in-depth development and industrialization process of related drugs.

Comparative Study of the Specificities of Needling Acupoints DU20, DU26 and HT7 in Intervening Vascular Dementia in Different Areas in the Brain on the Basis of Scale Assessment and Cerebral Functional Imaging

Objective： Using methods of clinical scale assessment and cerebral functional imaging to compare the relative specificity of needling acupoints Baihui （DU20）, Shuigou （DU26） and Shenmen （HTT） in intervening vascular dementia （VD） in different areas in the brain. Methods： Fifty patients with VD were randomized into 5 groups. Needling on conventionally used acupoints of hand and foot three Yang-meridians aiming at hemiplegia was applied to the patients in Group A, and needling on DU20 to Group B, on DU26 to Group C, on HT7 to Group D and on all the three to Group E was applied additionally. Assessments of Mini Mental State Examination （MMSE）, Activities of Daily Living （ADL） and Family Attitude Questionnaire （FAQ） were made. And the positron emission computerized tomography （PET） and single photon emission computerized tomography （SPECT） examinations were conducted in 5 selected patients from each group before and after treatment. Results： Needling on conventional acupoints plus DU20 could effect the inner temporal system, thalamencephalon system and prefrontal cortical system to improve memory and executive capacity of VD patients; conventional acupoints plus DU26 could effect more to the prefrontal cortical system to obviously elevate the executive capacity; that plus HT7 would reveal an effect similar to but rather weaker than plus DU20, and effect more to memory; and that plus all the three simultaneously could effect rather roundly multiple aspects of the nervous system related to intellectual activities, to elevate the recognition and enhance the executive capacity. Conclusion： Needling on various acupoints like DU20, DU26 and HT7 have effects on different brain areas.

Mechanisms of Electroacupuncture on Alzheimer's Disease: A Review of Animal Studies

Alzheimer's disease(AD)is the main type of dementia affecting elderly people.The medicines used for treating AD have limits in their ability to alleviate cognitive and functional decline.Electroacupuncture(EA),an economical alternative and complementary therapeutic measure used in Chinese medicine,has strong clinical applicability,and its treatment effects are more reliable as its stimulation factors can be standardized.EA has been effectively used for ameliorating spatial learning and memory impairment in AD patients and rodent AD models.Here,we summarized the mechanisms of EA on rodent AD models,aiming to provide a theoretical basis for identifying new targets and research directions,and exploring appropriate EA stimulation parameters,then provide a detailed methodology to optimize the effects of EA,ultimately reducing the heavy burden of treating AD patients on families and countries.Our review showed that 8 acupoints were used when treating AD animals;Baihui(GV 20)was the most frequently used.Four mechanisms of EA were studied:(1)protection of cerebral neurons from oxidative stress,apoptosis,neuroinflammation,synaptic plasticity and hormone levels;(2)regulation of metabolism,including glucose metabolism and plasma metabolism;(3)regulation of brain derived neurotrophic factor;and(4)regulation of β-amyloid peptide protein deposition.

Pricking and penetrating moxibustion therapy in patients with refractory insomnia: a randomized and controlled clinical trial

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of pricking and penetrating moxibustion therapy on refractory insomnia.METHODS: Totally 60 subjects were randomly divided into treatment group and control group, 30 in each group. The treatment group was treated with pricking and penetrating moxibustion therapy, the control group with penetrating moxibustion therapy, the treatment was given once every day, two groups of patients were treated 20 times,compared the efficacy, pinsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI) and Traditional Chinese Medicine symptom, safety evaluation between the two groups.RESULTS: Compared with 10, 20 times after the treatment, the effective rate of the treatment group(93.3%) higher than that of the control group(80.0%)(P < 0.05); Compared with beforetreatment, 20 times after treatment, the PSQI and TCM symptom pattern scores of the two groups were significantly decreased(P < 0.01); Compared with 10, 20 times after the treatment, the treatment group are better than the control group in improving the total score and the integral of PSQI(P <0.05 or P < 0.01); The treatment group are better than the control group in improving the TCM symptom pattern score, difficulty in going to sleep, palpitation, amnesia, fidget, sweating, impaired concentration(P < 0.01 or P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: The pricking and penetrating moxibustion therapy is safe and effective in the treatment of refractory insomnia and the treatment can improve the curative effect of the therapy that uses penetrating moxibustion only.