High-frequency (50 Hz) electroacupuncture ameliorates cognitive impairment in rats with amyloid beta 1–42-induced Alzheimer＇s disease

Acupuncture has been shown to ameliorate cognitive impairment of Alzheimer’s disease.Acupoints and stimulation frequency influence the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture.Rat models of Alzheimer’s disease were established by injecting amyloid beta 1–42（Aβ_（1–42））into the bilateral lateral ventricles.Electroacupuncture at 2,30,and 50 Hz was carried out at Baihui（GV20;15°obliquely to a depth of 2mm）and Shenshu（BL23;perpendicularly to 4–6 mm depth）,once a day for 20 minutes（each）,for 15 days,taking a break every 7 days.The Morris water maze test was conducted to assess the learning and memory.The expression levels of glycogen synthase kinase-3β（GSK-3β）,p Ser9-GSK-3β,p Tyr216-GSK-3β,amyloid precursor protein and Aβ_（1–40） in the hippocampus were determined by western blot assay.Results demonstrated that electroacupuncture treatment at different frequencies markedly improved learning and memory ability,increased synaptic curvatures,decreased the width of synaptic clefts,thickened postsynaptic densities,and downregulated the expression of GSK-3β,amyloid precursor protein,and Aβ_（1–40）.pSer9-GSK-3βexpression markedly decreased,while p Tyr216-GSK-3βexpression increased.High-frequency（50 Hz）electroacupuncture was more effective than low（2 Hz）or medium-frequency（30 Hz）electroacupuncture.In conclusion,electroacupuncture treatment exerts a protective effect against Aβ_（1–42）-induced learning and memory deficits and synapse-ultrastructure impairment via inhibition of GSK-3βactivity.Moreover,high-frequency electroacupuncture was the most effective therapy.

Wrist-ankle acupuncture combined with pain nursing for the treatment of urinary calculi with acute pain

BACKGROUND Urological calculi often cause renal colic,which is characterized by paroxysmal or persistent severe pain in the upper abdomen or lumbar region.Development of methods to quickly relieve these pain symptoms has garnered clinical attention.Wrist-ankle acupuncture is a type of floating acupuncture therapy administered at selected points in the carpal and ankle areas,and it has good pain-relieving effects.We used wrist-ankle acupuncture combined with pain nursing for pain intervention in patients with renal calculi to confirm its application and safety.AIM To study the effect of wrist-ankle acupuncture combined with pain nursing in the treatment of urinary calculi with acute pain.METHODS Eighty-two patients with urinary calculi with acute pain as the first symptom followed at our hospital from November 2019 to June 2021 were enrolled in the study and classified into two groups according to the odd and even numbers of the visit sequences,each with 41 cases.The control group received a routine nursing intervention and intramuscular injection of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,whereas the observation group received pain management nursing and wrist-ankle acupuncture.Subsequently,the pain-relieving effect was compared between the two groups.RESULTS The score on the visual analog scale(VAS)at 24,48,and 72 h postintervention was decreased in both groups compared with the baseline data;moreover,the observation group scored significantly lower than the control group on the VAS at each time point after the intervention(P<0.05).The clinical efficacy at 24 h postintervention was not significantly different between the two groups(P>0.05).In turn,the pain recurrence rate at 72 h postintervention was lower in the observation group compared with the control group(P<0.05).Finally,the nursing satisfaction rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that observed in the control group(P<0.05).No serious adverse reactions occurred during the treatment and the safety of treatment was high in both groups.CONCLUSION Wrist-ankle acupuncture combined with pain nursing for treating urolithiasis with acute pain effectively alleviated the degree of pain and reduced the recurrence rate,which was worthy of clinical application.

Mammary cell proliferation and catabolism of adipose tissues in nutrition-restricted lactating sows were associated with extracellular high glutamate levels

Background: Persistent lactation,as the result of mammary cellular anabolism and secreting function,is dependent on substantial mobilization or catabolism of body reserves under nutritional deficiency.However,little is known about the biochemical mechanisms for nutrition-restricted lactating animals to simultaneously maintain the anabolism of mammary cells while catabolism of body reserves.In present study,lactating sows with restricted feed allowance(RFA)(n = 6),24% feed restriction compared with the control(CON) group(n = 6),were used as the nutrition-restricted model.Microdialysis and mammary venous cannulas methods were used to monitor postprandial dynamic changes of metabolites in adipose and mammary tissues.Results: At lactation d 28,the RFA group showed higher(P < 0.05) loss of body weight and backfat than the CON group.Compared with the CON group,the adipose tissue of the RFA group had higher(P < 0.05) extracellular glutamate and insulin levels,increased(P < 0.05) lipolysis related genes(HSL and ATGL) expression,and decreased(P < 0.05) glucose transport and metabolism related genes(VAMP8,PKLR and LDHB) expression.These results indicated that under nutritional restriction,reduced insulin-mediated glucose uptake and metabolism and increased lipolysis in adipose tissues was related to extracellular high glutamate concentration.As for mammary glands,compared with the CON group,the RFA group had up-regulated(P < 0.05) expression of Notch signaling ligand(DLL3) and receptors(NOTCH2 and NOTCH4),higher(P < 0.05) extracellular glutamate concentration,while expression of cell proliferation related genes and concentrations of most metabolites in mammary veins were not different(P > 0.05) between groups.Accordingly,piglet performance and milk yield did not differ(P > 0.05) between groups.It would appear that activation of Notch signaling and adequate supply of glutamate might assist mammogenesis.Conclusions: Mammary cell proliferation and catabolism of adipose tissues in nutrition-restricted lactating sows were associated with extracellular high glutamate levels.

Assessing acupuncture effect in the real world study

Acupuncture,with its unique set of theories and its evident results in clinical practice is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),and gaining recognition worldwide for the past few years.Although acupuncture treatment is generally accepted by the public,a few western researchers believe that sufficient evidence of its efficiency is still currently lacking,therefore creating a challenge of its acceptance on a wider scale.This article suggests the concepts of acupuncture behind clinical researches by reviewing the clinical researches done,analyzing the existing problems,and integrating real life acupuncture into the research process.By increasing the credibility of acupuncture,its reach can be extended globally and to more countries and regions.

Moxibustion of Zusanli(ST36)and Shenshu(BL23)alleviates the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis in rats through regulating macrophage migration inhibitory factor/glucocorticoids signaling

OBJECTIVE:To test the hypothesis that moxibustion may inhibit rheumatoid arthritis(RA)synovial inflammation by regulating the expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor(MIF)/glucocorticoids(GCs).METHODS:Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups(n=10 each):blank Control(CON)group,RA Model(RA)group,Moxibustion(MOX)group,MIF inhibitor(S,R)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-5-isoxazole acetic acid methyl ester(ISO-1)group,and Moxibustion+MIF inhibitor ISO-1(MOX+ISO-1)group.Rats in the ISO-1 group and ISO-1+MOX group were intraperitoneally injected with the inhibitor ISO-1.The rats in the RA group,ISO-1 group,MOX group,and ISO-1+MOX group were injected with Freund's complete adjuvant(FCA)in the right hind footpad to establish an experimental RA rat model.In the MOX group and MOX+ISO-1 group,rats were treated with Moxa.The thickness of the footpads of the rats in each group was measured at three-time points before,after modeling and after moxibustion treatment.The contents of serum MIF,corticosterone(CORT),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and interleukin-1β(IL-1β)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay;and the contents of synovial MIF were detected by Western blot.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining method was used to observe the pathological changes of synovial tissue under a section light microscope,and pathological scoring was performed according to the grading standard of the degree of synovial tissue disease.RESULTS:Moxibustion was found to reduce the level of MIF and alleviate inflammation in RA rats in this study.In addition,after inhibiting the expression of MIF,the level of CORT increased,and the level of TNF-α decreased.Treating RA rats with inhibited MIF by moxibustion,the level of CORT was almost unchanged,but the level of TNF-α further decreased.The correlation analysis data suggested that MIF was positively related to the expression of TNF-α and negatively correlated with the expression of CORT.CONCLUSION:Reducing MIF to increase CORT and decrease TNF-α by moxibustion treatment in RA.MIF may be a factor for moxibustion to regulate the expression of CORT,but the expression of TNF-α is due to the incomplete regulation of the MIF.This study added to the body of evidence pointing to moxibustion's antiinflammatory mechanism in the treatment of RA.

Acupuncture for Bell's Palsy:A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Objective： To assess the clinical evidence for and against acupuncture as a treatment for Bell＇s palsy. Methods： We conducted a literature search of 15 databases from their inception to December 2010 without language restrictions. We included all randomized clinical trials （RCTs） regardless of their controls. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. Results： Of the 3 474 articles, only eight RCTs met our inclusion criteria. Four RCTs tested the effects of acupuncture against drug therapy on disease response rate. The meta-analysis of these data showed significant improvements in the acupuncture group [n=463, risk ratio （RR）=1.07, 95% CI： 1.02 to 1.13; P=0.006, I^2=0%]. Six RCTs tested the effects of acupuncture plus drug therapy versus drug therapy alone. The meta-analysis of this set of RCTs also showed the favorable effects of acupuncture on disease response rate （n=512, RR=1.11, 95% CI： 1.05 to 1.17; P=0.001, I^2=13%）. Conclusions： The evidence supporting the effectiveness of acupuncture for treating Bell＇s palsy is limited. The number and quality of trials are too low to form firm conclusions. Further rigorous RCTs are warranted but need to overcome the many limitations of the current evidence.

Acupuncture for insomnia attention deficit and the influence of nerve electrophysiology

Objective： To test the neural electrophysiological basis of acupuncture treatment on attention deficit of insomnia patients.Methods： Thirty insomnia attention deficit patients were enrolled as the patient group in this study, and30 normal people were collected as the normal group as the compare. In patient group, acupuncture was adopted and the acupoints were Bǎihui（百会GV20）, Shéntíng（神庭 GV24）, Sìshéncōng（四神聪 EX-HN1）,Shenmen（神门 HT7） and Sānyīnjiāo（三阴交 SP6）, even reinforcing and reducing method, once a day, 10 times as a course and totally 2 courses. There was no intervention for the normal group. Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index（PSQI） for assessing the sleep quality, Schulte grid scale and the event-related potential（ERP） for assessing the attention deficit were evaluated before the treatment, 10 days after the treatment and after the treatment. The normal group were taken evaluation at the same time point.Results： 1. PSQI. The PSQI score in the patient group before the treatment was（16.20 ±2.02） and was（4.20 ±1.64） after the treatment. The difference was statistically significant（P0.05）. The normal group was（4.00 ± 1.52） at the same point after the treatment, and the differences was not statistically significant（P〈0.05）. 2. Schulte grid scale. The Schulte grid scale rating score was decrease from（32.87 ± 6.71）s before the treatment to（12.82 ±3.40） s after the treatment, and the difference was statistically significant（P〈0.05）. The normal group was（12.29 ± 3.47） s at the same point after the treatment, and the differences was not statistically significant（P〈0.05）. 3. ERP.（1） P300： in the patient group, the latency of P3 a decreased from（316.60 ± 18.42） ms before the treatment to（300.10 ± 12.03） ms after the treatment;the latency of P3 b decreased from（328.32 士 16.32） ms before the treatment to（304.63 ± 13.248） ms after the treatment; the amplitude of P3 a increased from（5.501.16） μV before the treatment to（15.20 士 2.12）μV after the treatment; the amplitude of P3 b increased from（5.76 士 1.87） μV before the treatment to（16.76 ± 2.37） μV after the treatment, and the differences were statistically significant（all P〈0.05）.（2）CNV： in the patient group, the latency of point A decreased from（404 ±129） ms before the treatment to（369 ± 105） ms after the treatment; the latency of point C decreased from（2584 ± 563） ms before the treatment to（2308 士 369） ms after the treatment; the amplitude of A-B increased from（10.3 ±17.4）μV before the treatment to（13.7 ±24.8） μV after the treatment, and the differences were statistically significant（all P〈0.05）.Conclusion： Acupuncture can improve the sleep quality and the attention deficit condition of insomnia attention deficit patients by regulating the nerve electrophysiology of the brain.

Systematic Review on Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials of Acupuncture Therapy for Neurovascular Headache

Objective：To evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for neurovascular headache and to analyze the current situation related to acupuncture treatment.Methods：PubMed database （1966-2010）,EMBASE database（1986-2010）,Cochrane Library（Issue 1,2010）,Chinese Biomedical Literature Database（1979-2010）,China HowNet Knowledge Database（1979-2010）,VIP Journals Database（1989-2010）, and Wanfang database（1998-2010） were retrieved.Randomized or quasi-randomized controlled studies were included.The priority was given to high-quality randomized,controlled trials.Statistical outcome indicators were measured using RevMan 5.0.20 software.Results：A total of 16 articles and 1 535 cases were included. Meta-analysis showed a significant difference between the acupuncture therapy and Western medicine therapy [combined RR（random efficacy model）=1.46,95%CI（1.21,1.75）,Z=3.96,P0.0001],indicating an obvious superior effect of the acupuncture therapy;significant difference also existed between the comprehensive acupuncture therapy and acupuncture therapy alone[combined RR（fixed efficacy model）=3.35,95%CI （1.92,5.82）,Z=4.28,P0.0001],indicating that acupuncture combined with other therapies,such as points injection,scalp acupuncture,auricular acupuncture,etc.,were superior to the conventional body acupuncture therapy alone.Conclusions：The inclusion of limited clinical studies had verified the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of neurovascular headache.Although acupuncture or its combined therapies provides certain advantages,most clinical studies are of small sample sizes.Large sample size,randomized,controlled trials are needed in the future for more definitive results.

Electroacupuncture for abdominal pain relief in patients with acute pancreatitis:A three-arm randomized controlled trial

Background: Electroacupuncture(EA) may reduce the severity of acute pancreatitis(AP) and provide additional pain relief in patients with chronic pancreatitis. However, the ability of EA to relieve pain in patients with AP has not been well documented.Objective: This study was undertaken to compare the pain-relieving effects of EA and conventional treatment in patients with AP.Design, setting, participants and interventions: This study was conducted using a randomized, controlled,three-arm, parallel-group and multi-center design. Patients diagnosed with AP were randomly and equally assigned to EA1, EA2 or control groups. All participants received conventional standard-of-care therapy for AP. Local EA alone was administered in EA1, and local plus distal EA was given in EA2.Local EA included two abdominal acupoints, while distal EA included twelve peripheral acupoints. EA groups underwent one session of EA daily for 4 days(days 1–4), or until pain was resolved or discharged.Main outcome measures: The primary outcome measure was the change in the visual analogue scale(VAS;0–100) pain score between baseline and day 5.Results: Eighty-nine participants were randomized into EA1, EA2 and control groups, and 88(EA1, 30;EA2, 29;control, 29) were included in the full-analysis set. VAS score change(median [interquartile range]) on day 5 was(12.3 ± 22.5) in the EA1 group,(10.3 ± 21.5) in the EA2 group, and(8.9 ± 15.2) in the control group. There were not significant differences in the change in VAS score among treatments(P = 0.983). However, time to food intake was significantly shorter in the EA group(EA1 + EA2) than in the control group(median 2.0 days vs 3.0 days), with a hazard ratio of 0.581(P = 0.022;95% CI,0.366–0.924). No significant adverse events occurred.Conclusion: EA treatment did not significantly reduce pain after 4 days of treatment in patients with AP-associated abdominal pain but significantly reduced time to first food intake.

Corrective effect of electroacupuncture Shènshū (BL 23) and Zúsānlǐ (ST 36) on the basal circadian rhythm for chronic fatigue syndrome

Objective To evaluate the corrective effect of electroacupuncture on the basal circadian of core body temperature (CBT) and autonomic nerve with CFS.Traditional Medicine,

Effects of Acupuncture at Tianshu(ST25)and Shangjuxu(ST37)on the Intestinal Mucosa and Metabolites of Local Skin Tissues at Tianshu(ST25)in 2,4,6-Trinitrobenzene Sulfonic Acid and Ethanol-induced Rats

Objective:To observe the effect of acupuncture on local skin tissue metabolites of Tianshu(ST25)in rats with Crohn's disease(CD)using metabolomics and to explore the mechanism of acupuncture treatment metabolites and pathway on local skin tissue of Tianshu(ST25).Materials and Methods:Thirty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to a normal group(n=14)and a CD modeling group(n=24).Rats in the CD modeling group were administered with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid and ethanol enema,in addition to the normal group.Four normal rats and four CD modeling rats were selected at random after model identification was established.Furthermore,CD modeling group rats were randomly assigned to two groups of 10 rats:the model group and acupuncture group.Rats in the acupuncture group underwent acupuncture of Tianshu(ST25)and Shangjuxu(ST37)for 7 days.After the intervention,the colon tissue was collected from each group of rats and the pathological changes were observed through hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining.The local skin tissues at Tianshu(ST25)of the rats in each group were taken,and the proton nuclear magnetic resonance technique was used to detect the metabonomics of the local skin tissues of Tianshu(ST25)in rats.Results:Compared with the normal group,the following were observed in the model group after HE staining:irregular colon morphology and other pathological changes such as intestinal mucosal hyperemia,edema,ulcers,polyps,and inflammatory cell infiltration.In the acupuncture group,colon tissue structure was relatively complete and layered,the colon gland structure was restored,and inflammatory cell infiltration was significantly improved.The choline,glycerin,glycine,guanidoacetic acid,and proline levels were significantly higher in the model group than in the normal group(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the acupuncture group had significantly increased contents of alanine,leucine,L-phenylalanine,and tyrosine in the skin(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Valine,leucine,and L-isoleucine biosynthesis and L-phenylalanine metabolism were the main metabolic pathways involved in the changes in the local skin tissues of the rats in each group,biosynthesis of tyrosine,and tryptophan.Conclusion:The change in the metabolites in the local area of Tianshu(ST25)may be related to intestinal disease.The acupuncture of Tianshu(ST25)can improve intestinal inflammatory reaction in rats with CD,and this finding may be related to the regulation of amino acid metabolites and their pathways in the local acupoint tissues of Tianshu(ST25)by acupuncture.

Discussion on Relationship Between Meridians and Viscera of Decreased Ovarian Reserve from the Perspective of"Preventive Treatment of Disease"by Acupuncture

Based on extensive historical data,clinical experience,and modern scientific research,we discuss the relationship between meridians and viscera of decreased ovarian reserve(OR)from the perspective of"preventive treatment of disease"by acupuncture.It is believed that the endogenous protection mechanism of acupuncture in"preventive treatment of disease"lies in harmonizing Yin and Yang and dredging meridians;stimulating righteousness and rejecting the evil outside;preventing disease;co-cultivating body and spirit,and regulating emotions.The incidence ofOR dysfunction is closely related to the uterus-related meridians and viscera.The mechanism of acupuncture treatment of OR dysfunction may be related to reproductive endocrine hormone levels,ovarian tissue morphology,immune system,granulosa cell apoptosis,and related signal transduction pathways.The clinical effect of acupuncture treatment of diminished OR is reflected in improving menstruation and ovulation;improving OR function,promoting pregnancy;improving local ovarian microenvironment;improving negative emotions,improving quality of life,and thus affecting pregnancy outcomes.This article summarizes the mechanism of action and clinical effect of acupuncture in the treatment of decreased OR function based on recent findings,analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of acupuncture in the treatment of disease,and provides the rationale for the clinical application of acupuncture in the treatment of decreased OR function.

Effect of moxa-burning heat stimulating Liangmen(ST 21) and Zusanli(ST 36) on proliferation and apoptosis signaling proteins in rats with stress-induced gastric ulcer

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of moxa-burning heat stimulating acupoints of Liangmen(ST 21)and Zusanli(ST 36) on the proliferation and apoptosis signaling proteins in rats with stress-induced gastric ulcer.METHODS: Forty rats were randomly divided into four groups: negative control(NC), ulcer control(UC), acupoints of stomach meridian(ASM), and acupoints control(AC). The acute gastric ulcer model was established by bound and water immersion.Rats in NC and UC groups didn't receive any moxa-burning heat stimulating treatment, while rats in ASM and AC groups were treated with buringmoxa heat stimulating the acupoints of Liangmen(ST 21) and Zusanli(ST 36) and their controlled points, respectively. Rats in all groups were sacrificed after 12 consecutive days treatment. The ulcer index was evaluated by using Guth's method.The expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α), apoptotic protease activating facter-1(Apaf-1), Caspase-3, p21 activated kinase 1(PAK1),extracellular regulated protein kinases 2(ERK2),phosphorylated ERK2(p ERK2), phosphoinositide3-kinase(PI3K) and RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase(Akt) in gastric mucosa was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).RESULTS: Compared with UC group, the ulcer index of ASM and AC groups decreased, and the injured gastric mucosa was improved, the expression of TNF-α, Apaf-1 and Caspase-3 in gastric mucosa was significantly reduced(P < 0.05), while the ex-pression of PAK1, ERK2, p ERK2, PI3 K and Akt in gastric mucosa was significantly increased(P < 0.05).And ASM showed better effect than AC group(P <0.05).CONCLUSION: Moxa-burning Heat stimulating of Liangmen(ST 21) and Zusanli(ST 36) could promote the recovery of gastric mucosal lesion probably by inhibiting cell apoptosis and promoting cell proliferation in stress-induced gastric ulcer.

Exploration of Stratified Evidence Scoring Method of Acupuncture Clinical Practice Guidelines

Due to its own internal laws of development,Chinese medicine(CM)seems more inclined to empirical medicine in a relatively long historical period.It is considered to be lacking objective and unified clinical practice guidelines(CPGs),and the difficulties in diagnosis and therapeutic effect evaluation comes with it,have restricted its further inheritance,development and international communication.Over the years,our research group has been committed to improving the standardization theory and methodology of CM,also perfecting relative techniques for further application,which are all based on the stratified evidence scoring method.We have already applied this method to 45 issued guidelines,including 5 national guidelines,3 industrial guidelines,and 37 formulation/revision social organization guidelines.The stratified evidence scoring method has been recognized and used widely.It helps scholars and applicators to study,formulate,publish and popularize the acupuncture therapy clinical practice guidelines better,thus further promotes the development of acupuncture therapy.

Acupuncture Points for Treating Parkinson's Disease Based on Animal Studies

Parkinson＇s disease （PD） is a well-known neurodegenerative disease caused by dopaminergic cell death in the nigrostriatal pathway. Recent studies have shown that acupuncture can be a potential therapy for the treatment of PD, but it is not clear which acupuncture points （acupoints） play major roles in reliving symptoms of PD. Yanglingquan （GB 34）, Zusanli （ST 36）, Fengfu （GV 16）, Taichong （LR 3）, Baihui （GV 20） and Dazhui （GV 14） acupoints have frequently been to investigate the effectiveness and action mechanism of acupuncture for treating PD, but it is not clear why they were selected. This review summarizes the current understanding of the acupoints for PD treatment based on Oriental medicine theories and on the accumulated findings from previous animal studies. The results of this study will be useful to development of a strategy for future research in this field.

Efficacy of acupuncture on fibromyalgia syndrome:a Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE:To comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for fibromyalgiasyndrome.METHODS: Two review authors independently selected the trials for the Meta-analysis, assessed their methodological quality and extracted relevant data. A quality assessment was conducted according to the Cochrane Review Handbook 5.0.RevMan 5.0.20 software was used in the statistical analysis.RESULTS: A total of 523 trials were reviewed and 9trials were selected for Meta-analysis.(a) Compared acupuncture with sham acupuncture, there was a significant difference in the visual analogue scale,but no difference in the pressure pain threshold.Additionally,and there was a difference in the fibromyalgia impact questionnaire and the multidisciplinary pain inventory after 4 weeks of treatment,but no difference after 7 weeks of therapy. There was no difference in the numerical rating scale in weeks 3, 8 and 13.(b) Acupuncture versus drugs.There were differences in the VAS after 20 days of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment comparing with the drug amitriptyline, and after 4 weeks of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment comparing with the drug fluoxetine and amitriptyline.There were also differences in the number of tender points when comparing acupuncture with amitriptyline or fluoxetine. There was no difference in total efficiency when comparing acupuncture with amitriptyline after 4 weeks of treatment, but there were differences between the two groups 45 days after treatment.There were also differences in total efficiency comparing acupuncture with fluoxetine,and when comparing 4 weeks post-treatment of acupuncture with a combination of amitriptyline,oryzanol and vitamin B.(c) A comparison of acupuncture, drugs and exercise with drugs and exercise showed PPT differences in months 3 and 6.There was no difference between the two comparison groups after follow-up visits in months 12 and 24.CONCLUSION: Compared with sham acupuncture,there was not enough evidence to prove the efficacy of acupuncture therapy for the treatment of fibromyalgia. Some evidence testified that the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy for fibromyalgia was superior to drugs; however, the included trials were not of high quality or had high bias risks.Acupuncture combined with drugs and exercise could increase pain thresholds in the short term, but there is a need for higher quality randomized controlled trials to further confirm this.

Efficacy of acupuncture on repair of glial scars in rats with traumatic brain injury

OBJECTIVE:To explore the underlying mechanism of acupuncture on nerve repair by investigating its effect on the differentiation of glial cells and the repair of glial scars.METHODS:Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to three groups:normal group,model group,and acupuncture group.Acupuncture was applied at Renzhong(GV26),Baihui(GV20),Fengfu(GV16),Yamen(GV15)and Hegu(LI4)within 12 h after TBI modeling with a frequency of one session per day for 4 weeks.Neurobehavioral assessment,hematoxylin and eosin staining,immunofluorescence detection,and magnetic resonance imaging scanning were performed on days 3,7,14,and 28 after modeling of traumatic brain injury(TBI).RESULTS:Acupuncture promoted the proliferation of glial cells and glial scars at an early stage but inhibited the proliferation of glial cells and glial scars at a late stage.Morphological observations and immunofluorescence histochemistry showed that the morphology of the perilesional cortex in the acupuncture group was improved and the number of neurons was increased when compared with the model group.The lesion size of ipsilateral brain parenchyma in the acupuncture group was smaller than in the model group on days 7,14,and 28(P<0.05)after TBI modeling.CONCLUSIONS:Acupuncture might have a bidirectional regulatory effect on glial scar repair after TBI by promoting the proliferation of glial cells and glial scars to limit the injured area and relieve nerve injury during the early stages,and by inhibiting glial scar hyperplasia to benefit the regeneration and repair of neurons and axons and promote neurological function recovery during the later stages.

Clinical Observations on Curative Effect of TCM Massage on Dyssomnia of Infants

Objective:To observe the curative effect of TCM massage on difficulty in falling asleep, waking during night and other sleep disorder of infants. Methods: The 51 outpatients were treated by basic recipe for massage treatment and modified recipe according to syndromes. Results: The total Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) score 3.2800±1.5784 after treatment is lower than 9.2400±1.4286 before treatment (P<0.01), there is statistical difference in AIS scores before and after treatment. Conclusion: TCM massage can remarkably improve sleep condition of infants with dyssomnia.