New therapy for oral ulcer:Evodia rutaecarpa patch combined with acupoint application

Background:Oral ulcer is the most common and easily recurrent disease in stomatology,which influence the patients’communication,normal dietary,and sleep.Evodia rutaecarpa(ER)is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine recorded in ancient Chinese medical books,which has a medicinal history of more than 2,000 years.Clinically,the application of ER at plantar Yongquan point(KI1)is effective in the treatment of oral ulcer.The purpose of this study was to combine the modern transdermal drug delivery system with traditional Chinese medicine to develop the transdermal absorption patch of ER and apply it to the treatment of oral ulcer at Yongquan point of plantar.Methods:Firstly,the medicinal materials of ER were extracted and the extracted materials were prepared into dispersed ER patch.The formulation and preparation process were screened by orthogonal design method and single factor investigation method.The adhesive and transdermal properties of the patch were used as the evaluation index of the preparation.Secondly,Wistar rats were used as experimental animals to establish a rat model of mouth ulcers.Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal group,model group(A),model group(B),low dose group,medium dose group and high dose group.the efficacy of ER on rat’s oral ulcer model was evaluated through three aspect such as apparent index,pathological index and biochemical index.Results:The patch had suitable adhesion and good skin penetration,which was an effective treatment for oral ulcer.In vivo pharmacodynamic studies,compared with the normal group,the body mass and food intake of rats in each group after modeling decreased,the amount of drinking water increased,the tissue structure of oral mucosa was damaged,and the levels of inflammatory factors(TNF-α,IL-6)and malondialdehyde increased,the levels of anti-inflammatory factors(IL-10),cell growth factor(epidermal growth factor,TGF-β_(1))and superoxide dismutase decreased.Compared with the model group,the body weight and food intake of each dosing group increased,water consumption decreased,the oral mucosal tissue structure was more complete,the levels of TNF-α,IL-6 and malondialdehyde decreased,the levels of IL-10,epidermal growth factor,TGF-β1 and superoxide dismutase increased,and the changes of various indexes were dose-related.Conclusion:ER patch can inhibit inflammatory reaction,enhance the antioxidant defense ability of the body,and promote the repair of damaged oral mucosa,so as to play an effective role in the treatment of oral ulcer.

“Jianpi Tongwei Prescription”Acupoint Application Combined with Moxibustion for Gastric Retention in Elderly Patients with Nasal Feeding

Objective:To explore the effect of“Jianpi Tongwei Prescription”acupoint application combined with moxibustion in the treatment of gastric retention in elderly patients with nasal feeding.Method:60 cases elderly patients with nasogastric gastric retention in our hospital were selected as the research object from March 1,2019 to on October 31,2019,and were randomly divided into treatment group and control group.Patients in the control group received the nasal feeding of domperidone,10 mg/time,3 times/d,for 21 days or until gastric retention<100 mL.On the basis of the control group,patients in the treatment group was treated with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)characteristic nursing“Jianpi Tongwei Prescription”acupoint application combined with moxibustion on Zusanli.Results:The effective rate of Jianpi Tongwei Prescription combined with moxibustion in the treatment of gastric retention in elderly patients with nasal feeding was higher than that of conventional treatment(51.2%vs.23.3%,P<0.05),and the rate of gastrointestinal reaction in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.05),moderate and severe gastrointestinal reactions were significantly lower than the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:“Jianpi Tongwei Prescription”acupoint application combined with moxibustion is effective in the treatment of early clinical symptoms of gastric retention in elderly patients with nasal feeding,no adverse reactions,worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Auricular acupoint application combined with Fujing prescription treatment for patients with premature ovarian failure

Background:To study the efficacy of Fujing prescription combined with auricular acupoint application in premature ovarian failure and its effect on hormone levels.Methods:From March 2018 to March 2020,100 patients with premature ovarian failure treated in our outpatient clinic were selected and randomly divided into a control group of 50 cases and a treatment group of 50 cases.The control group was treated with Femoston for 28 consecutive days,and the treatment group was treated with not only Femoston,but also Fujing prescription and auricular acupoint application.The patients in the two groups were treated with a 3-month course of treatment.The clinical efficacy,traditional Chinese medicine integral,serum hormone level,immune index and the occurrence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.Results:After treatment,the indexes of IgG,IgM and IgA in the treatment group were all increased(P<0.05 for all);compared with the control group,the incidence of adverse reactions in the treatment group was lower(P<0.05).Conclusion:The combination of Fujing prescription and auricular acupoint application in the treatment of premature ovarian failure can improve patients'clinical symptoms significantly,resulting in a decrease in follicle-stimulating hormone levels and an increase in estrogen levels.The combination of Fujing prescription and acupoint application has provided a clinical basis for the TCM treatment of premature ovarian failure.

Preventing Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis After Hip Fracture Surgery in Elderly Patients by Acupoint Application Combined with Pneumatic Compression Therapy

Objective:To investigate and analyze the long-term clinical effects of acupoint application combined with pneumatic compression therapy in the prevention of deep venous thrombosis after hip fracture surgery among the elderly.Methods:Sixty elderly patients who had undergone hip fracture surgery from February 2021 to February 2022 were selected as the research subjects.The patients were divided into two groups via drawing lots.Both the groups received nursing care,but the patients in the observation group were treated with TCM acupoint application combined with pneumatic compression therapy,whereas the control group received pneumatic compression therapy.The evaluation indicators included the patients’quality of life and complications.Results:The incidence of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis in the observation group was more than twice(0.3%),whereas the incidence of lower extremity complications in the control group was more than 6 times(20%).There was a significant difference between the two groups(p<0.05).Conclusion:Traditional Chinese medicine acupoint application combined with pneumatic compression therapy is beneficial for the prevention of postoperative lower extremity deep vein thrombosis among elderly patients.In addition,the patients’overall quality-of-life scores in both physiological and psychological aspects improved significantly,which carries significant clinical reference value.

Prevention and Treatment of 88 cases of Asthma with Acupoint Application

Prevention and treatment of 88 cases of asthma with acupoint application therapy.Analyses of the mechanism of treatment according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)theory and laboratory test results.

Clinical Study of Acupoint Application of Jiezi Fangxiao Ointment Combined with Pingchuan Prescription in the Treatment of Pediatric Asthma

[Objectives]To study the clinical effect of Acupoint Application of Jiezi Fangxiao Ointment combined with Pingchuan Prescription in the treatment of pediatric asthma.[Methods]A total of 40 children with asthma admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine from July 2017 to September 2018 were selected as the research subjects,and divided into control group and observation group according to random classification method,with 20 cases in each group.Among which the control group was given routine symptomatic treatment,the observation group was treated with Acupoint Application of Jiezi Fangxiao Ointment combined with Pingchuan Prescription on the basis of the control group.After 4 weeks of continuous treatment,the clinical efficacy was observed and the changes of traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores,forced expiratory volume in the first second(FEV1),maximum expiratory flow(PEF),forced vital capacity(FVC),peripheral blood eosinophils(EOS)and interleukin-17(IL-17)were compared between the two groups before and after treatment.[Results]After treatment,the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)scores such as asthma,cough,expectoration,chest tightness,dyspnea and wheezing sound of lungs in the two groups were significantly improved,and the improvement in the observation group was superior to that in the control group.The difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).FEV1,PEF and FVC in the two groups were significantly improved after treatment,and the improvement in the observation group was superior to that in the control group.The difference was statistically significant(P<0.05);after treatment,the levels of EOS and IL-17 decreased in both groups,and the improvement in the observation group was superior to that in the control group,the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).[Conclusions]The clinical effects of Acupoint Application of Jiezi Fangxiao Ointment combined with Pingchuan Prescription in the treatment of infantile asthma were obvious,which can significantly improve the TCM symptoms scores,pulmonary function and immune function of patients.

Advances in the treatment of peptic ulcer by acupoint application therapy

Acupoint application therapy is a convenient,effective and with few side effects traditional Chinese medicine external treatment method.It’s dual effects of drug absorption and acupoint stimulation show unique advantages in the clinical treatment of peptic ulcer(PU).This paper summarized its research progress in terms of its medication,acupoint selection and the synergistic application.It’s clear that acupoint application has a positive effect in the treatment of PU and it can better improve the clinical symptoms of epigastric pain in patients with PU,so as to provide new ideas for further exploration of its research direction and demonstration of its efficacy.

Acupoint selection rules for acupoint application in lung diseases in the post-epidemic era

Objective:To summarize the rules of acupoint selection of acupoint application to prevent and treat lung diseases under the background the post-epidemic era using data-mining technology.Method:The CNKI,Wanfang database,and VIP database were searched for clinical study articles on lung diseases treated by acupoint application published in the past 5 years.Data-eligible papers were extracted to establish a database of acupoint application for lung disease using Microsoft Excel 2019,with the goal of analyzing the frequency of acupoints,acupoint-meridian association,acupoint-location association,specific acupoint frequency,and cluster analysis.Association rules,consisting of acupoints with an application frequency of≥10,were devised by the Apriori algorithm to explore the correlation between acupoint groups and to analyze the rules of the compatibility of acupoint prescriptions.Results:A total of 229 eligible papers met our inclusion criteria.Forty-seven acupoints were applied,for a total frequency of acupoints of 1,035 times.Among these,acupoints for lung diseases were primarily distributed in the back-and-waist and chest-and-abdomen areas.From the analysis of the association rules,we obtained four groups of acupoint association rules based on acupoint clusters with a frequency≥10 and found that Feishu(BL 13),Tiantu(CV 22),Dazhui(GV 14),Dingchuan(EX-B1),and Danzhong(CV 17)constitute the core acupoints of prescriptions for clinical acupoint application to prevent and treat lung diseases.Conclusion:It is clearly shown that the core acupoints are relatively concentrated and that the selected acupoints were mainly locally selected,which could be a matching reference for the long-term prevention and treatment of lung diseases,including COVID-19.

Application Value of Moxibustion Combined with Acupoint Application in Patients with Abdominal Distension after Gynecological Surgery

Objective:To explore the application value of moxibustion and acupoint application in the treatment of postoperative abdominal distention in patients undergoing gynecological surgery.Methods:Seventy-two patients who underwent gynecological surgery in our hospital from May 2020 to May 2021 were randomly divided into two groups.Group A was treated with moxibustion and acupoint application,and group B was treated with routine treatment.The incidence of postoperative abdominal distention,therapeutic effect of abdominal distention,defecation time,exhaust time,recovery time of bowel sounds and the changes of patients’quality of life were analyzed.Results:The incidence of abdominal distension in group A was 22.22%,which was lower than 41.47%in group B(P<0.05).The therapeutic effect of abdominal distension in group A was 87.50%,which was higher than 66.67%in group B(P<0.05).The recovery time of first defecation,first exhaust and bowel sound in group A was shorter than that in group B(P<0.05).All postoperative quality of life scores of group A were higher than that of group B(P<0.05).Conclusion:On the basis of routine postoperative intervention,moxibustion and acupoint application can reduce the risk of postoperative abdominal distention,reduce the degree of abdominal distention,promote the recovery of intestinal function,shorten the first postoperative exhaust and defecation time,and then improve the quality of life of patients.

Application of acupoint massage combined with acupoint application in stable stage of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Objective:To investigate the application of acupoint massage combined with acupoint application in pulmonary rehabilitation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Methods:Inhaled drugs,oral expectorant,such as conventional treatment,select our hospital on June 6,2019-March 2021 in lung disease clinics,a total of 130 patients with COPD,with digital method of random divided into control group and observation group,65 cases in each group,control group given observation group in the control group on the basis of joint acupoint sticking therapy combined with acupuncture point massage,two groups of treatment for 15 days,respectively,The total effective rate,TCM syndrome score,lung function index and dyspnea degree score(mMRC)were compared between the two groups after treatment.Results:After treatment,the total effective rate was 81.54%in the control group and 93.85%in the observation group.After treatment,the symptoms of cough,expectoration,wheezing,shortness of breath,fatigue,chills and tenderness of waist and knee were significantly improved in the two groups compared with the control group.After treatment,the symptoms of cough,expectoration,wheezing,shortness of breath,fatigue,chills and tenderness of waist and knee were significantly improved in the observation group compared with the control group.Compared with before treatment,FEV1 and FEV1/FVC values in 2 groups were increased(P<0.05),and the two indexes in observation group were better than control group(P<0.05),the differences were statistically significant.MMRC score in 2 groups was significantly lower than before treatment(P<0.05),and the improvement of mMRC score in observation group was significantly better than that in control group(P<0.05),the difference was statistically significant.Conclusion:Acupoint massage combined with acupoint application can effectively improve the lung function of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,relieve patients with dyspnea,achieve the purpose of promoting pulmonary rehabilitation,clinical efficacy is positive,worthy of promotion.

Therapeutic Effect of Shaoyao Jiawei Gancao Decoction(芍药加味甘草汤)with Acupoint Application on Chronic Lumbar Muscle Strain and the Recovery of Lumbar Strength

Objective:To study the therapeutic effect of Shaoyao Jiawei Gancao Decoction(芍药加味甘草汤)with acupoint application on chronic lumbar muscle strain and the recovery of lumbar strength.Methods:From August 2018 to August 2019,100 patients with chronic lumbar muscle strain admitted to our hospital were selected and randomly divided into an acupoint application group and a combined group of 50 cases each.The acupoint application group was treated by acupoint application,and the combined group was treated with Shaoyao Jiawei Gancao Decoction(芍药加味甘草汤)based on acupoint application.The indexes scores,VAS scores,ADL scores,ODI scores,lumbar endurance,TCM syndrome scores and the treatment effects of the two groups before and after treatment were statistically analyzed,and TNF-αand TXB2 levels were detected.Results:After treatment,the scores of indexes,VAS,ODI,TCM syndrome,TNF-αand TXB2 in the combined group were lower than those in the acupoint application group,and the ADL score,lumbar endurance and treatment efficiency were higher than those in the acupoint application group,with a statistical difference(P<0.05).Conclusion:Shaoyao Jiawei Gancao Decoction(芍药加味甘草汤)with acupoint application can effectively reduce pain,improve lumbar function,restore lumbar strength,effectively relieve inflammation,with significant effects.

Effectiveness of Acupoint Application in Patients with Pharyngeal Pain: Evidence from CHUNBO, A Prospective Real-World Study

Objective: To assess the outcomes after acupoint application in patients with pharyngeal pain in a real-world settings, and analyze the characteristics of effective population and prescription characteristics of acupoint application. Methods: Based on CHUNBO platform, patients with pharyngeal pain who were candidates for acupoint application on the basis of physician-evaluation, were enrolled in a nationwide, prospective, 69-week multicenter observational study from August 2020 to February 2022. Propensity score matching(PSM) was used to match the confounding factors and the association rules were used to analyze the characteristics of effective population and prescription characteristics of acupoint application. Outcome assessments included the disappearance rate of pharyngeal pain(within 3, 7, and 14 days), disappearance time of pharyngeal pain, as well as adverse events. Results: Of 7,699 enrolled participants, 6,693(86.9%) received acupoint application and 1,450(21.7%) with non-acupoint application. After PSM, there were 1,004 patients each in the application group(AG) and non-application group(NAG). The disappearance rate of pharyngeal pain in the AG at 3, 7, and 14 days were all higher than those in the NAG(P<0.05). The disappearance time of pharyngeal pain in the AG were shorter than that in the NAG(logrank P<0.001, hazard ratio=1.51, 95% confidence interval: 1.41–1.63). The median age of effective cases was 4 years, mainly 3–6 years old(40.21%). The disappearance rate of pharyngeal pain in the application group with tonsil diseases was 2.19 times higher than that in the NAG(P<0.05). The commonly used acupoints for the effective cases were Tiantu(RN 22), Shenque(RN 8) and Dazhui(DU 14). The commonly used herbs for the effective cases were Natrii sulfas, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, and Herba Ephedrae. Among them, Natrii sulfas was applied to RN 8 most frequently(support 84.39%). A total of 1,324(17.2%) patients experienced AEs, and mainly occurred in the AG, with significant difference in the incidence of AEs between goups(P<0.05). All AEs reported were the first grade, and the average regression time of AEs was 2.8 days. Conclusions: Acupoint application in patients with pharyngeal pain resulted in improved effective rate and shortened duration, especially children aged 3–6 years old, and those with tonsil diseases. Acupoint of RN 22, RN 8 and DU 14, herbs of Natrii sulfas, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, and Herba Ephedrae were the most commonly used in the treatment of pharyngeal pain.

Effectiveness of acupoint application of Xiaozhong Zhitong Tie on diarrhea in patients:a retrospective cohort study in China

OBJECTIVE:To provide the evidence for the efficacy of acupoint application(AA)for patients with diarrhea in a real-world setting.METHODS:This study is a national multicenter retrospective cohort study.Our study consecutively collected outpatient medical records of patients with diarrhea from hundreds of primary hospitals nationwide registered in Chun Bo Wan Xiang cloud platform from 22nd August,2020 to 5th November,2020.The patients were divided into the treatment group and the control group according to patient's condition and willingness.The control group was treated with Western Medicine,oral Chinese Medicine decoction,or both.The treatment group was added with AA based on the control group.Multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the independent efficacy of AA in diarrheal recovery on the 3rd,7th,14th and 28th day.As a next step,we also performed stratified analysis and likelihood ratio test(LRT).Sensitivity analyses included propensity score matching(PSM),four PSM-related analyses and E-value.RESULTS:The treatment group showed better efficacy than the control group on the 14th and 28th day[the 14th day:OR=1.58,95%CI(1.15,2.19),P=0.005;the 28th day:OR=2.03,95%CI(1.43,2.88),P<0.001].No difference was observed in efficacy of AA for the treatment of diarrhea among the subgroups(P>0.05).PSM-related analyses confirmed the efficacy of AA in diarrheal recovery.The findings are unlikely to be nullified by an unmeasured confounding variable according to the results of E-values.CONCLUSIONS:The efficacy in the treatment group was significantly more improved than that in the control group on the 14th and 28th day.

Association between Skin Reactions and Efficacy of Summer Acupoint Application Treatment on Chronic Pulmonary Disease:A Prospective Study

Objective： To examine the variations in the prevalence of skin reactions and the association between skin reactions and efficacy of summer acupoint application treatment （SAAT） on chronic pulmonary disease （CPD）. Methods： A total of 2,038 patients with CPD were enrolled at 3 independent hospitals （defined as Groups A, B and C, respectively） in China. All patients were treated by SAAT, as applying a herbal paste onto the acupoints of Fengmen （BL 12） and Feishu （BL 13） on the dog days of summer, according to the lunar calendar, in 2008. Ten days after treatment, skin reaction data （no reaction, itching, stinging, blistering, and infection） were obtained via face-to-face interviews. Patients were retreated in the same hospital one year later, thereby allowing doctors to assess treatment efficacy based on the patients＇ symptoms, the severity of the spirometric abnormalities, and the concomitant medications used. Results： A large number of patients （85.3%） displayed reactive symptoms; however, the marked associations between reactive symptoms and age or gender were not observed. An increased number of patients from Group B （99.3%） and Group C （76.5%） displayed reactive symptoms due to the increased mass of crude Semen Sinapis Albae. The effective rate of SPAT was as high as 90.4% for patients of Group B, which was followed by Group A （70.9%） and Group C （42.2%）. Using stratified analyses, a convincing association between reactive symptoms and therapeutic efficacy was observed for patients with asthma [itching： odds ratio （OR）=2,17, 95% confidence interval （CI）： 1.49 to 3.14; blistering： OR=0.43, 95% Ch 0.25 to 0.73; and no reaction： OR=0.56, 95% CI： 0.35 to 0.90]. However, the same tendency was not observed for patients with chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Conclusions： SAAT can induce very mild skin reactions for patients with CPD, among which patients with asthma displayed a strong association between skin reactions and therapeutic efficacy. The skin reactions may be induced by the crude Semen Sinapis Albae.

Efficacy of Chinese Medicine Acupoint Application Combined with Montelukast on Children with Perennial Allergic Rhinitis:A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of Chinese medicine acupoint application(CMAA)combined with Western medicine for perennial allergic rhinitis(PAR)in children.Methods In this prospective,parallel,randomized,placebo-controlled and single-blind trial from August to September,2017,180 children with PAR were randomly assigned to an integrative group(CMAA and Montelukast),CMAA group(CMAA and placebo tablet),or Montelukast group(placebo CMAA and Montelukast).Participants were applied with CMAA for 6 sessions over 2 weeks,and/or Montelukast Chewable Tablet orally once daily for 12 weeks.The changes in severity of symptoms were measured by Visual Analog Scale(VAS)and rhinitis control assessment test(RCAT)at 0,2,4 and 12 weeks of treatment.Blood samples were collected for serum interleukin-4,interferon gammaγand T helper type 1(Th1)/Th2 flow cytometric analysis at the time points of 0,4 and 12 weeks.Results Eight cases dropped out from the trial,3 in the integrative group,2 in the CMAA group and 3 in the Montelukast group.The VAS scores decreased significantly while the RCAT scores increased significantly in all three groups at 4 and 12 weeks compared with baseline(P<0.01 or P<0.05).The VAS scores were significantly lower while the RCAT scores were significantly higher in the integrative and CMAA groups than the Montelukast group at 2 and 4 weeks(P<0.01 or P<0.05).At 2,4 and 12 weeks,the scores of nasal congestion,sneezing,sleep problem,and rhinitis symptom control in the integrative and CMAA groups increased significantly compared with baseline(P<0.01 or P<0.05).The least percentages of Th2 and the most alleviated Th2 shift(highest Th1/Th2)were observed in the integrative group at 12 weeks compared with the other two groups(P<0.05).Conclusion The combination of CMAA with Montelukast might be more effective and appropriate than either option alone for children with PAR.(Registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Register,registration No.ChiCTR-IOR-17012434).

Acupoint application therapies for essential hypertension:a systematic review and Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupoint application therapies(AA)for hypertension.METHODS:We searched Pub Med,EMBASE,the Cochrane Center Controlled Trials Register,Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure,Chinese Scientific Journal Database,and Wanfang Med Online Database from their inceptions to October 7,2019.No language restriction was applied.We included randomized clinical trials testing AA against Western Medicine,AA versus placebo,AA combined with Western Medicine versus Western Medicine.Study selection,data extraction,quality assessment,and data analyses were conducted according to the Cochrane standards.RESULTS:Totally 41 trials with 3772 participants were included.The methodological quality of the included trials was evaluated as generally low.AA plus Western Medicine significantly lowered systolic blood pressure(BP)[weighted mean difference(WMD):-10.36,95%confidence intervals(CI):-12.62,-8.10;P<0.00001],diastolic BP(WMD:-5.71,95%CI:-7.30,-4.13;P<0.00001),and total effect[risk ratio(RR):1.23,95%CI:1.15,1.32;P<0.00001].The BP-lowering effect of AA was significantly higher than that of placebo[systolic BP(SBP):-8.05,95%CI:-8.67,-7.43;P<0.00001;diastolic BP(DBP):-6.66,95%CI:-7.31,-6.01,P<0.00001].The total effect also improved significantly from baseline with AA than placebo(RR:10.85,95%CI:4.71,24.98;P<0.00001).Traditional Chinese Medicine symptoms score were significantly reduced by AA compared with Western Medicine(WMD:-1.75,95%CI:-2.52,-0.99;P<0.00001),10 trials reported adverse events,indicating that the safety of SSYX Capsule is still uncertain.CONCLUSIONS:Application therapies may be considered a safe and beneficial for the treatment of hypertension and can reduce BP and improve the total effect.Further well-designed trials are needed to support our conclusions.

Effectiveness and Safety of Acupoint Application of Guan Xin Su He Pill (冠心苏合丸) for Patients with Chronic Stable Angina Pectoris: A Multi-Center, Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective To assess the clinical effectiveness of acupoint application(AP)of Guan Xin Su He Pill(冠心苏合丸,GXSHP)for patients with chronic stable angina pectoris(CSAP).Methods This study was carried out in 3 local hospitals in Chengdu,China.After baseline evaluation,eligible patients were randomly assigned to the placebo application for acupoints(PAA)group or the herbal application for acupoints(HAA)group.Patients in the HAA group underwent AP with herbal powder,which was mainly GXSHP,and patients in the PAA group underwent AP with sham drugs.For each treatment session,unilateral acupoints including Neiguan(PC 6),Danzhong(RN 17),Xinshu(BL 15)and Jueyinshu(BL 14),were stimulated for both groups.AP was performed 3 times a week with a 2-day interval for 4 weeks.The primary outcome was the frequency of angina pectoris attacks per week,while the secondary outcomes included angina pain intensity measured by the Visual Analogue Scale(VAS),dose of rescue oral drugs(nitroglycerin),scores on the Seattle Angina Questionnaire(SAQ),Self-Rating Anxiety Scale scores(SAS)and Self-Rating Depression Scale scores(SDS).Clinical outcomes were measured at week 0,4 and 8.The safety of AP of GXSHP treatment for CSAP were assessed.Results A total of 121 patients were enrolled.Baseline characteristics were comparable across the 2 groups.After treatment,the angina attack numbers in the HAA group were significantly reduced from 11.00 to 4.81(P<0.05).While,for PAA group,the angina frequency was not significantly improved(baseline 10.55;post-treatment 11.05).The HAA group had significantly fewer angina attacks than the PAA group(P<0.05).Pain intensity measured by VAS in HAA group was significantly reduced from 4.06 to 3.02(P<0.05).While,for PAA group,the VAS was significantly increased(baseline 3.62;post-treatment 3.96;P<0.05).Clinical outcomes showed better improvement after treatment in the HAA group than in the PAA group in terms of oral administration of rescue drugs,SAS,SDS and SAQ scores(P<0.05).The adverse events were also reported.Conclusion AP of GXSHP is a safe and effective treatment for CSAP patients(Registration No.NCT02029118).

Efficacy and safety of acupoint application for allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE: To use evidence-based medicine to explore the efficacy of acupoint application(AA) for allergic rhinitis(AR) at different time points and its safety. METHODS: We searched 7 databases(Pub Med, Cochrane, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and China Biology Medicine disc) as well as the international clinical trial registration platform from January 2010 to March 2020 for randomized controlled trials(RCTs) comparing the efficacy of AA versus placebo, Western Medicine or other alternative therapies on AR. Risk of bias was assessed according to the Cochrane handbook, and statistical analysis was performed using Rev Man 5.3. Outcomes included the total effective rate, recurrence rate, total nasal symptom score(TNSS), visual analogue scale(VAS), quality of life measured by the Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire(RQLQ) or Short Form-36(SF-36), adverse events, and biomarkers including immunoglobulin E(Ig E), peripheral blood eosinophil count(EOS), interleukin-4(IL-4), and interferon gamma(INF-γ). RESULTS: Twenty-eight RCTs involving 3282 participants were included. The short-term and long-term efficacy of AA was significantly better than placebo, including better total effective rate [RR: 3.05, 95%CI(1.84, 5.07), after treatment;RR: 9.29, 95%CI(2.57, 33.66), at 6 months], lower recurrence rate [RR: 0.55, 95%CI(0.45, 0.66), at 6 months;RR: 0.65, 95%CI(0.57, 0.74), at 1 year], lower TNSS [MD:-3.09, 95%CI(-3.58,-2.61), after treatment], and lower RQLQ [MD:-14.79, 95%CI(-21.49,-8.10), after treatment;MD:-11.92, 95%CI(-17.40,-6.45), at 4-6 months]. Compared with Western Medicine, AA had better long-term total effective rate [RR: 1.33, 95%CI(1.05, 1.69), at 3 months;RR: 1.49, 95%CI 1.22 to 1.81, at 1 year) and lower recurrence rate [RR: 0.48, 95%CI(0.39, 0.58), at 6 months;RR: 0.45, 95%CI(0.33, 0.60), at 1 year]. AA had better long-term total effective rate versus acupuncture [RR: 2.06, 95% CI(1.28, 3.31), at 1 year] or oral Chinese medicine [RR: 1.21, 95% CI(1.09, 1.34), ≥ 6 months]. Both AA and Western Medicine can reduce serum levels of Ig E, EOS, and IL-4 after treatment. The main adverse event of AA was local skin reaction without systemic side effects. CONCLUSIONS: The short-term(within one month) and long-term(at 3 months, 6 months and 1 year) efficacy of acupoint application on AR was better than that of placebo. The long-term efficacy of acupoint application was superior to that of Western Medicine(at 3 months, 6 months and 1 year), oral Chinese medicine(at more than 6 months) and acupuncture(at 1 year). AA can reduce serum Ig E, EOS, and IL-4 level of AR patients in a short run. Acupoint application is safe, but severe skin reactions can reduce patient compliance.

Predicting the 7^(th)Day Efficacy of Acupoint Application of Chinese Herbs(Xiao Zhong Zhi Tong Tie)in Patients with Diarrhea——A Machine-Learning Model Based on XGBoost Algorithm

Objective:Extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost)was used to predict the 7^(th)day efficacy of the acupoint application(AP)of Chinese herbs(Xiao Zhong Zhi Tong Tie)in patients with diarrhea.Materials and Methods:We consecutively collected medical records of patients with diarrhea nationwide on the Chun Bo Wan Xiang cloud platform from August 22 to November 5,2020.Demographic and clinical data and the fecal properties were included in this study.We established the XGBoost model to predict the 7^(th)day efficacy of AP in patients with diarrhea.The XGBoost model was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve(AUC).We next compared the performance of XGBoost with that of artificial neural network(ANN),ANN+boosting,ANN+bagging,and support vector machine(SVM).Results:The XGBoost model provided a prediction accuracy of 84.86%(95%confidence interval=82.74%to 86.81%)and the ROC curve analysis showed an AUC of 0.81.The top-three variables with the highest importance are age,duration of diarrhea,and region(North).Our study revealed that XGBoost was not superior to ANN,ANN+boosting,ANN+bagging,and SVM.Conclusions:The established XGBoost model for predicting the 7^(th)day efficacy of AP in patients with diarrhea exhibited good accuracy and precision,which can be used for efficacy prediction.

Analysis of the Effect of Shenghua Zhuyu Herbal Acupoint Plaster in the Treatment of Postpartum Malodor

Objective:To assess the clinical effect of Shenghua Zhuyu ointment,which was applied onto the Zhongji,Qihai,and Guanyuan acupoints,on postpartum lochia.Methods:We randomly divided 166 patients who were admitted in 2018-2021 into an observation group and a control group.The control group was treated with conventional clinical methods,whereas the observation group was treated by applying Shenghua Zhuyu ointment on the Zhongji,Qihai,and Guanyuan acupoints.The amount and duration of lochia,abdominal pain,hospitalization time were observed;B-scan ultrasonography was performed to check whether the placenta was discharged.Results:The treatment received by the observation group of patients was shown to be more effective than that of the control group.Besides,the experimental group had less lochia than that of the control group.The observation group also had shorter duration of lochia and hospital stay than those of the control group(P<0.05).The placenta excretion was better,and the degree of abdominal pain was lower in the observation group than those of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:The acupoint application of Shenghua Zhuyu herbal acupoint plaster has a significant impact on retained placenta,in which it can aid the discharge of residual placenta and improve the patients’physical functions and symptoms.