Electroacupuncture combined with intermittent pneumatic compression therapeutic apparatus for diabetic peripheral neuropathy and the effect on HIF-1α and VEGF levels

Objective： To observe the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture combined with intermittent pneumatic compression therapeutic apparatus for treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and the effect on serum VEGF and HIF-lα levels of patients. Methods： Ninety-six patients were randomly divided into electroacupuncture treatment group （EA group）, intermittent pneumatic compression treatment group （IPC group）, electroacupuncture combined with intermittent pneumatic compression treatment group （EA ＋ IPC group） and cobamamide group （CM group）, with 24 cases in each group. Electroacupuncture treatment （once a day）, intermittent pneumatic com pression treatment （twice a day） and intramuscular injection with cobamamide （1 rag, once a day） were carried out in EA group, IPC group and CM group, respectively, and intermittent pneumatic compres- sion treatment （twice a day） was conducted on the basis of electroacupuncture treatment （once a day） in EA＋IPC group. After treatment for 2 consecutive weeks, the differences in subjective symptoms, mo- tor nerve conduction velocity, sensory nerve conduction velocity and serum HIF-lα and VEGF levels of patients in the four groups before and after treatment were observed and compared. Results： After treatment for 2 weeks, the differences in total effective rate between EA group and CM group, IPC group and CM group, as well as EA ＋ IPC group and CM group were all significant （all P 〈 0.05）, and the total effective rate in EA＋ IPC group was significantly higher than that in EA group and IPC group （both P 〈 0.05）. After treatment for 2 weeks, the motor nerve conduction velocity and sensory nerve conduction velocity of median nerve and common peroneal nerve of patients in EA group, 1PC group and EA＋IPC group were all higher than that before treatment （all P 〈 0.05）; the motor nerve conduction velocity of median nerve and the sensory nerve conduction velocity of common peroneal nerve in EA group were all higher than that in CM group （both P 〈 0.05）; the motor nerve conduction velocity and sensory nerve conduction velocity of median nerve in IPC group were also all higher than that in CM group （both P 〈 0.05）; the motor nerve conduction velocity and sensory nerve conduction velocity of median nerve and common peroneal nerve in EA＋IPC group were all higher than that in CM group （both P 〈 0.05）; the sensory nerve conduction velocity of common peroneal nerve in EA ＋ 1PC group was higher than that in EA group and IPC group （both P 〈 0.05）, and the motor nerve conduction velocity of median nerve in EA＋IPC group was higher than that in IPC group （P 〈 0.05）. The serum HIF-1α and VEGF levels of patients in EA group, IPC group and EA ＋ IPC group after treatment significantly reduced （all P 〈 0.05）. and were lower than that in CM group after treatment （all P 〈 0.05）; the serum HIF-lα and VEGF levels of patients in EA ＋ IPC group after treatment were lower than that in EA group and IPC group, and the difference in serum HIF-lα level was statistically significant （both P 〈 0.05）. Conclusion： Electroacupuncture combined with intermittent pneumatic compression therapeutic apparatus can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, the efficacy were better than electroacupuncture, intermittent pneumatic compression treatment and cobamamide.