Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs for tonifying Qi and kidney, and replenishing spleen on intermittent asthma in children aged 2 to 5 years old

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) herbs for tonifying Qi and kidney, and replenishing spleen on intermittent asthma in children aged 2 and 5 years.METHODS: A randomized, single-blind, placebo controlled trial was conducted. Children with intermittent asthma were enrolled and their baseline conditions were measured using a questionnaire. A total of 60 participants, aged 2 to 5, were randomized into either the treatment group(n = 40) or the placebo group(n = 20). The treatment group was treated with granules of TCM herbs for tonifying Qi and kidney, and replenishing spleen, and the placebo group was given placebo granules for 3 months.The number of asthma attacks was counted and TCM syndrome scores were measured at 1, 2, 3, 6, 9,and 12 months. The airway resistance and levels of eosinophil cationic protein for the two groups were observed before and after 3 months. The results were statistically analyzed.RESULTS: Compared with the placebo group, the number of asthma attacks significantly decreased in the treatment group(P < 0.05). For the treatment group, the TCM syndrome scores decreased after 1 and 2 months; there was also a significant difference in scores between the two groups(P < 0.05).The difference remained after the medicine was stopped for 9 months(P < 0.05). After the 3-month treatment, compared with the placebo group, the airway resistance decreased in the treatment group(P < 0.05). No adverse events were reported in the treatment group.CONCLUSION: The TCM herbs for tonifying Qi and kidney, and replenishing spleen reduced the number of intermittent asthma attacks, decreased the TCM syndrome scores, and reduced the airway resistance in the children aged 2 to 5.

Regulative Effects of Auricular Acupuncture,Moxibustion and Chinese Herbs on Immunologic Function in the D-Galactose-induced Aging Mouse

Objective:To observe the regulative effect of auricular acupuncture, moxibustion and Chinese herbs on immunologic function in the D-galactose-induced aging mouse and to probe the feasibility and possible mechanisms for delaying aging, so as to provide experimental basis for acupuncture, moxibustion and Chinese herbs for delaying aging. Methods: Aging mouse model was established by subcutaneous injection of D-galactose, and treated by auricular acupuncture, auricular acupuncture plus moxibustion, and auricular acupuncture plus Chinese herbs respectively for 6 weeks and then serum interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-6 contents and splenic lymphocyte transformation rate were compared among the groups. Results: Compared with the young group, the serum IL-2 level and the splenic lymphocyte transformation rate significantly decreased and the IL-6 level significantly increased in the aging mouse. After treatment by auricular acupuncture, auricular acupuncture plus Chinese herbs, especially auricular acupuncture plus moxibustion, the serum IL-2 level and the splenic lymphocyte transformation rate significantly increased, and the IL-6 level significantly decreased as compared with the model group. Conclusions: Combined application of auricular acupuncture, moxibustion and Chinese herbs can improve the decline or dysfunction of immunological function in the aging organism to a certain extent.

Warm needling moxibustion versus electroacupuncture for simple obesity due to yang deficiency of the spleen and kidney: a controlled clinical trial

Objective: To compare the therapeutic efficacy between warm needling moxibustion and electroacupuncture (EA) in the treatment of simple obesity due to yang deficiency of the spleen and kidney. Methods: Seventy patients with simple obesity due to yang deficiency of the spleen and kidney were randomly divided into a warm needling moxibustion group and an EA group, with 35 subjects in each group. Same major acupoints were selected for the two groups, including Shuifen (CV 9), Guanyuan (CV 4), Daheng (SP 15), Shuidao (ST 28), Shousanli (LI 10), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Taixi (KI 3). The warm needling moxibustion group received warm needling moxibustion, while the EA group received EA treatment. The interventions were performed once every other day, with 15 treatments as one course. The therapeutic efficacy, body weight and body mass index (BMI) were then observed and compared. Results: The total effective rate in the warm needling moxibustion group was 85.7% versus 77.1% in the EA group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The warm needling moxibustion was remarkably superior to the EA in weight loss and lowering BMI, both with statistical significance (P<0.05, P<0.01). At the three-month follow-up, the body weight and BMI further decreased in the warm needling moxibustion group (both P<0.05), and the levels were lower than those in the EA group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Conclusion: Warm needling moxibustion can produce reliable and consistent efficacy in the treatment of simple obesity due to yang deficiency of the spleen and kidney. Compared with EA, warm needling moxibustion shows advantage in both short-term and long-term efficacies, and thus is worth promotion in clinical practice.