OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture for treatment of patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

METHODSNinety-eight cases were randomly divided into an acupuncture group (n= 50) and a medicine group (n=48). The acupuncture group was treated with acupuncture at Shenshu (BL 23), Guanyuan (CV 4), Taixi (KI 3), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), etc.; the medicine group was treated with oral administration of Polyene Phosphatidylcholine Capsules. They were treated for 12 weeks. The changes of clinical symptoms, serum enzyme, blood fat and abdominal CT performance were compared between the two groups before and after treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), galactosylhydroxylysyl glucosyltransferase (GGT), triglyeride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) significantly decreased in the acupuncture group (all P<0.01); ALT, AST and GGT significantly decreased in the medicine group (all P<0.01), and there were no significant differences in changes of TG and TC in the medicine group (both P>0.05). After treatment, CT image showed there was significant improvement of liver injury in both groups (both P<0.01), and the improvement of liver injury in the acupuncture group was superior to that in the medicine group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture has a significant therapeutic effect on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.