Study of the mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion treatmentfor ulcerative colitis ratsinview of the gene expression of cytokines

AIM:To observe the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on the expression of IL-1beta and IL-6 mRNA in ulcerative colitis rats.METHODS:The SD rat ulcerative colitis model was created by immunological method associated with local stimulation. Colonic mucosa was prepared from human fresh surgical colonic specimens, homogenized by adding appropriate amount of normal saline and centrifuged at 3000r/min. The supernatant was collected for measurement of protein conentration and then mixed with Freund adjuvant. This antigen fluid was first injected into the plantae of the model group rats, and then into their plantae, dorsa, inguina and abdominal cavities (noFreund adjuvant for the last injection) again on the 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st day. When a certain titer of serum anti colonic antibody was reached, 2% formalin and antigen fluid (no Freund adjuvant) were administered separately by enema. The ulcerative colitis rat model was thus set up. The animals were randomly divided into four groups: model control group (MC, n = 8), electro acupuncture group (EA, n = 8), herbs partition moxibustion group (HPM 8), normal control group (NC,n = 8). HPM: Moxa cones made of refined mugwort floss were placed on the medicinal pad (medicinal pad dispensing: Radix Aconiti praeparata, cortex Cinnamomi, etc) for Qihai (RN 6) and Tianshu (ST 25, bilateral) and ignited. Two moxa cones were used for each acupoint once a day and 14 times in all. EA: Tianshu (bilateral) and Qihai were stimulated by the intermittent pulse with 2Hz frequency, 4mA intensity for 20 minutes once a day and 14 times in all. After treatment, rats of all four groups were killed simultaneously. The spleen was separated and the distal colon was dissected. Total tissue RNA was isolated by the guanidinium thiocyanate phenol chloroform extraction method. RT-PCR technique was used to study the expression of IL-1 beta and IL-6 mRNA.RESULTS:IL-1 beta and IL-6 mRNAs were not detected in the spleen and colonic mucosa of the NC rats, whereas they were significantly expressed in that of the MC rats.IL-1 beta and IL-6 mRNAs were markedly lower in the EA and HPM rats than that in MC rats. There was no significant difference between the levels of IL-1 beta and IL-6 mRNAs in the EA and HPM rats. The expressions of IL-1 beta and IL-6 mRNAs were nearly the same in the spleen and colon of all groups.CONCLUSION:Acupuncture and moxibustion greatly inhibited the expression of IL-1 beta and IL-6 mRNA in the experimental ulcerative colitis rats.

A Case of Intractable Hiccup Treated by Acupuncture and Moxibustion

Hiccup is a syndrome characterized by continuous sound in the throat,short and frequent sound,and difficult to stop[1].Although the disease is not life-threatening,it seriously affects the quality of life of patients.Long term intractable hiccup will also have an impact on the psychology of patients and bring great trouble to patients.Hiccup is equivalent to diaphragmatic spasm in western medicine and involves a variety of systemic diseases[2].At present,the treatment of this disease includes drugs and nerve block,but the curative effect and prognosis are not ideal.Acupuncture and moxibustion,as a green and simple treatment method,has unique curative effect in the treatment of hiccup.Now the test of one case of intractable hiccup caused by ineffective treatment is as follows.

Pretreatment of emulational manual acupuncture versus electroacupuncture against visceral traction pain in rats

BACKGROUND： Acupuncture and moxibustion against visceral noxious stimulation present different mechanisms in the peripheral and central nervous systems, involving release of neurotransmitter substance P, acetylcholine esterase, leucine-enkephalin, and c-Fos protein expression. However, there are few reports addressing changes in neurotransmitter expression following manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture against visceral traction pain.OBJECTIVE： To explore changes in neurotransmitter expression in the ileum and protein expression in the medullary visceral zone of visceral traction pain rats undergoing pretreatment of emulational manual acupuncture, and to investigate the differences between emulational manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： The randomized, controlled study was performed at the Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China from August 2008 to July 2009.MATERIALS： G6805 electroacupuncture apparatus （Shanghai Medical Electronic Machine Factory, China） and ZSF-I acupuncture manipulation simulation therapeutic system （Chinese Medical Engineering Room, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai China） were used in the present study.METHODS： A total of 40 male Sprague Dawley rats were equally and randomly assigned to sham surgery, model, emulational manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture groups. In the emulational manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture groups, emulational manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture were applied at bilateral Zusanli （ST 36） acupoints for 30 minutes, and models of visceral traction pain were established immediately.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Substance P expression, c-Fos and glial fibrillary acidic protein expression were measured using immunohistochemistry. Acetylcholine esterase activity was examined utilizing a colorimetric method. Leucine-enkephalin content was detected using a radioimmune assay. Degree of pain in rats was assessed by pain score.RESULTS： Pain score, substance P expression in the ileum, acetylcholine esterase activity, expression of c-Fos protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein in the medullary visceral zone were significantly decreased following pretreatment of emulational manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture in rats with visceral traction pain （P〈0.05）. Compared with the electroacupuncture group, the leucine-enkephalin content was significantly increased, and pain score was significantly diminished in the emulational manual acupuncture group （P〈0.05）.CONCLUSION： Emulational manual acupuncture pretreatment decreases acetylcholine esterase activity, increases leucine-enkephalin release, downregulates expression of c-Fos protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein and ultimately inhibits visceral traction pain by reducing substance P release. The effectiveness in inhibiting visceral traction pain is greater when using emulational manual acupuncture compared with electroacupuncture. This is because emulational manual acupuncture effectively increases leucine-enkephalin release.

CLINICAL STUDY ON SPLEEN-STOMACH-REINFORCING MOXIBUSTION TREATMENT OF DIARRHEA-TYPE IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

In the present paper, the therapeutic effect of spleen- stomach- reinforcing moxibustion for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is observed and its underlying mechanisms on immunity are analyzed. A total of 72 IBS patients are randomly divided into moxibustion group (n= 46) and acupuncture group (control group, n = 26). Acu-points used are Zhongwan (CV 12), Qihai (CV 6) and Zusanli (ST 36), etc. Serum IgG, IgA and IgM contents, blood T-lympocytes (T3+, T4+, T8+) counts, T4+ /T8+, cancer embryonic antigen (CEA) content, serum IL-2 and slL-2R contents are assayed for evaluating changes of the immunocompetence. After two courses of treatment (24 sessions), results show that in moxibustion group, 25 cases (54.35%) are cured, 17 experience improvement in clinical symptoms and 4 have no apparent changes, with an effective rate of 91.30% ; in control group, 8 cases (30. 78%) are cured, 12 experience improvement and 6 have no marked improvement, with an effective rate of 76.92% . The therapeutic effect of moxibustion is significantly superior to that of acupuncture (P<0.01). In addition, moxibustion can effectively rectify abnormal immune function and stabilize human's immunity. This research provides a reliable experimental basis for clinical application of 'principal prescription of moxibustion for reinforcing the spleen and stomach'.

INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT INTERVALS OF ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT ON BONE INTENSITY IN PRIMARY OSTEOPOROSIS PATIENTS

Objective: To observe the influence of different intervals of acupuncture treatment on bone intensity in primary osteoporosis subjects. Methods: A total of 45 cases of primary osteoporosis female patients were randomly divided into 1 treatment/week (1-T/W), 2 treatments/week (2-T/W) and 3 treatments/week (3-T/W) groups, with 15 cases being in each group. Guanyuan (CV 4), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Shenshu (BL 23), Taixi (KI 3) and Pishu (BL 20) were used and stimulated with reinforcing needling manipulation. For patients with deficiency syndrome of kidney-yang, thermal acupuncture was applied to Shenshu (BL 23), and for patients with spleen-deficiency syndrome, thermal acupuncture applied to Zusanli (ST 36). Results: After 6 months’ treatment, in 1-T/W group, no apparent change of bone intensity was observed, while in 2-T/W and 3-T/W groups, the bone intensity was increased significantly (P<0.05, 0.01). Conclusion: Acupuncture plus moxibustion treatment twice or 3 times every week can obviously improve the bone intensity.

CURRENT SITUATION OF CHINESE REHABILITATION TREATMENT OF CEREBRAL PALSY

Analyze present situation of treatment of cerebral palsy at home and abroad, review in detail concrete methods and studies of mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion as main therapeutic way adopted at home, probe characteristics and models of Chinese rehabilitation treatment for cerebral palsy. Results indicate that acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of cerebral palsy has very great potential social and economic results. Therefore, it is appropriate to approach establishment of a comprehensive rehabilitation system of cerebral palsy with Chinese characteristics, and with acupuncture and moxibustion used as main way.

Treatment of 49 Cases of Restless Legs Syndrome by Acupuncture plus Acupoint Injection

Summary： Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy was used to treat 49 cases of restless legs syndrome. Yanglingquan （GB 34）, Jinggu（BL 64）, Chengshan （BL 57）, Chengjin （BL 56） and Shangqiu （SP 5） were the main acupoints; Ganshu （BL 18）, Shenshu （BL 23） and Taixi （ KI 3） were matched to the type of deficiency of liver and kidney yin; Xuehai （SP 10） and Sanyinjiao （SP 6） were matched to the type of cold-dampness entering interior. Chengshan （BL 57） and Chengjin （BL 56） were needled. After the arrival of qi, warm needling was done. Bilateral Chengshan （BL 57） were injected with complex prescription Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae （丹参）injection. The clinical symptoms of 41 cases disappeared totally, the clinical symptoms of 7 cases disappeared and the clinical symptoms of 1 case disappeared partly.

Role of Combining Spreading Moxibustion and Point Injection in Reducing ECP and LPO Levels and Improving Lung Function

Objective: To observe the effect of combining spreading moxibustion and point injection on serum eosinophil cationic protein(ECP), lipid peroxidase(LPO) and cellular immunity in patients with cough-variant asthma. Methods: A total of 150 cases who met the inclusion criteria were randomized into three groups, 50 in each group. Spreading moxibustion and point injection were employed in the observation group, spreading moxibustion alone in the spreading moxibustion group and point injection alone in the point injection group. Then the therapeutic efficacies were evaluated after one course of treatment. Results: The recovery rate and total effective rate were 50.0% and 98.0% respectively in the observation group, versus 18.0% and 86.0% in the spreading moxibustion group and 14.0% and 82.0% in the point injection group, showing a statistically significant difference(P < 0.01). Before treatment, there were no inter-group statistically significant differences in levels of ECP, LPO, CD3+,CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ and CD8+, forced vital capacity(FCV), forced expiratory volume 1(FEV1), and peak expiratory flow(PEF)(P>0.05). After treatment, the ECP and LPO levels in the observation group were more significantly reduced than those in the other two groups, showing statistically significant difference(P<0.01); the levels of CD3+, CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ in the observation group were significantly elevated but CD8+ was significantly reduced, showing statistically significant differences compared with those in the other two groups(P<0.01); and the lung function indexes(FVC, FEV1 and PEF) in the observation group were more significantly elevated than those in the other two groups(P<0.05). Conclusion: Combining spreading moxibustion and point injection could remarkably reduce the contents of ECP and LPO in patients with cough-variant asthma, improve cellular immunity, increase the contents of CD3+, CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+, reduce the content of CD8+ and improve the lung function.

Therapeutic Observation of Warm Needling plus Tuina for Senile Functional Constipation

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of warm needling plus tuina in treating senile functional constipation. Methods: Ninety elderly patients with functional constipation were randomized into two groups. Forty-six patients in the treatment group were intervened by warm needling plus tuina; the other forty-four patients in the control group were intervened by San Huang tablet. Results: In the treatment group, 19 patients were cured, 24 cases showed improvement, 3 cases failed, and the total effective rate was 93.5%; in the control group, 16 patients were cured, 18 cases showed improvement, 10 cases failed, and the total effective rate was 77.3%. There was a significant difference in comparing the therapeutic efficacy(P<0.05), and the therapeutic efficacy of the treatment group was higher than that of the control group. Conclusion: Warm needling plus tuina can produce a higher therapeutic efficacy than taking San Huang tablet in treating senile functional constipation.

Warm Needling Combined with Iontophoresis of Chinese Medicine for Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of warm needling combined with iontophoresis of Chinese medicine for temporomandibular joint disorder(TMD). Methods: A total of 100 TMD cases were randomly allocated into a treatment group and a control group, 50 in each group. Cases in the treatment group were treated with warm needling combined with iontophoresis of Chinese medicine, whereas cases in the control group were treated with Western medication. The therapeutic efficacies in two groups were assessed after three courses of treatment. Results: The recovery rate and total effective rate were 54.0% and 98.0% respectively in the treatment group, versus 30.0% and 82.0% in the control group, showing significant differences(both P<0.05). The recovery rates in the treatment group were higher than those in the control group respectively after 1, 2 and 3 courses of treatment, indicating that warm needling combined iontophoresis of Chinese medicine could substantially shorten the course of treatment. Conclusion: Warm needling combined with iontophoresis of Chinese medicine is remarkably effective for TMD and deserves further clinical application.