Auricular Acupuncture and Biomedical Research——A Promising Sino-Austrian Research Cooperation

Treatment by auricular acupuncture has a long history. Ear-acupoint research has been advancing step by step in China and also in Europe. Auricles are rich in nerves, therefore a close relationship with different functions of the human body has been proved by the research teams of the two main authors of this article from China and Austria. In recent years, great progress has been made in the research of regulating human body functions through electroacupuncture at the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, which is part of auricular acupuncture therapy. It is well known that the auricular branch of the vagus nerve is the only peripheral pathway to the cerebral cortex. Studies of the Chinese team on hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy and depression have shown that the mechanism of auricular vagus nerve stimulation （VNS） may be comparable with cervical VNS in terms of pathways. Auricular VNS has a broad clinical application prospect.

Influence of Acupuncture on Autonomic Balance in Adult Tinnitus Patients:An Exploratory Study

Acupuncture is an alternative therapy for tinnitus in clinical practice.The mechanism by which acupuncture can alleviate tinnitus is still unknown.Autonomic nervous system was reported to be responsible for tinnitus.The aim of this study was to explore the effect of acupuncture on autonomic balance in adult tinnitus patients.Thirty patients were randomly assigned into either the deep acupuncture(DA)group or the shallow acupuncture(SA)group.Each patient received 6 acupuncture sessions(a-f phase)over three weeks.Measures of heart rate variability and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory(THI)were obtained at baseline and after the sixth acupuncture session in all patients.The results showed that the low frequency/high frequency(LF/HF)pattern was increased at b-f phase until the sixth acupuncture session when compared with that at the first acupuncture session in DA group.However,it continuously increased at b-f phase in SA group even at the sixth acupuncture session,which was not significantly different from that at the first acupuncture session.The decrease in THI in DA group was greater than that in SA group after 3-week treatment(P=0.043).Our preliminary study suggests three-week deep acupuncture can improve tinnitus symptoms in adult tinnitus patients,which may be related to the regulation of autonomic nervous system balance.

High-Tech Acupuncture for Prevention of Lifestyle Diseases--A Sino-Austrian Cooperation Research Protocol on Heart Rate Variability

Background： Acupuncture can not only be used for well-known diseases, but also for so-called modern lifestyle-related diseases. Using innovative methods like e.g. new analyses of heart rate variability （HRV）, it is also possible to investigate diseases like burnout syndrome, ie., qi deficiency in Chinese medicine （CM）. Objective： The main object of this research protocol is to perform research on the relationship of burnout syndrome and heart rate （HR） and HRV. Methods： A total of 175 patients with burnout syndrome （qi deficiency syndrome） in five groups and 35 healthy volunteers will be investigated. Based on random numbers generated by computer and concealed in opaque envelops, the patients will be assigned to four acupuncture groups using Zusanli （ST 36） acupuncture stimulation, Guanyuan （CV4） acupuncture stimulation, both points, and both points with Streitberger device respectively, and a moxibustion group using both points mentioned above, with 35 cases in each group. Altogether four different experiments are planned. Experiment 1 includes 70 subjects and is a comparison between a burnout group and a control group （healthy volunteers）. The evaluation parameters are different scores and indices of HR and HRV. Experiment 2 includes 140 subjects and compares the efficacy of different acupuncture points. In experiment 3 （105 subjects）, acupuncture and moxibustion should be compared to healthy volunteers. Experiment 4 （70 subjects） investigates the long-term therapeutic effects of acupuncture and moxibustion on the scores of qi deficiency and HR/HRV in qi deficiency patients. In both the acupuncture and moxibustion groups, a total of 10 treatments will be performed. Conclusions： The joint research aims at the scientific evaluation of CM, mainly in the field of HRV. This parameter could be a very good indicator of the state of health and can be influenced by different acupuncture methods, as shown in the past.

奥地利的高科技针刺——脑循环研究(英文)

在奥地利,有众多结合医学研究特别是中医学的研究机构,开展了大量相关研究。最近15年来,高科技针刺的研究在奥地利格拉茨医科大学取得了重要的发展。本文介绍了高科技针刺与脑循环和经颅多普勒超声检查(transcranial Doppler,TCD)。TCD很早就被用于各种基础和临床研究,近10年来被广泛用于衡量各种针刺疗法的疗效。根据多普勒的原理,超声波通过作用于给脑部供血的血管获取针刺引起的脑部血流动力学变化的信息。本文介绍了与针刺相关的TCD技术的基本概念,以及针刺刺激对脑部血流动力学的特异性影响。

Acupotomy versus sodium hyaluronate for treatment of knee osteoarthritis in rabbits

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible advantages of acupotomy over sodium hyaluronate injection for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis(KOA).METHODS: Twenty rabbits were divided randomly into four groups(n = 5 in each): a control group,model group, acupotomy group, and sodium hyaluronate injection group. The model, acupotomy,and sodium hyaluronate groups underwent anterior cruciate ligament transection plus partial medial meniscectomy. Sodium hyaluronate injection and acupotomy were administered to the respective groups from weeks 5 to 8, and samples of the tibial plateau and medial condyle of the femur were collected in week 9. Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) expression was assessed in cartilage and subchondral bone by immunohistochemical staining.RESULTS: Articular cartilage degeneration was less pronounced in the acupotomy compared with the model and sodium hyaluronate groups. VEGF expression levels in cartilage and subchondral bone were increased in the model group compared with the control group(P < 0.01), and acupotomy had a more pronounced therapeutic effect than sodium hyaluronate injection(P < 0.01).CONCLUSION: Acupotomy and sodium hyaluronate injection may both reduce degeneration in the cartilage and subchondral bone in KOA based on the results from a rabbit model, but acupotomy improved the histopathology and reduced the VEGF content more effectively than sodium hyaluronate injection, probably by reducing venous stasis and intraosseous pressure. Acupotomy may improve KOA by lowering VEGF.