OBJECTIVETo observe the protective effect of acupuncture-drug compound anesthesia with different frequency electroacupuncture on stress reaction in pneumonectomy and to explore potential mechanisms.

METHODSEighty patients scheduled for pneumonectomy were randomly divided into four groups, named group A, B, C and D, 20 cases in each group. General anesthesia and single lung protective mechanical ventilation were produced in all the groups. They were treated with acupuncture at Houxi (SI 3), Zhigou (TE 6), Neiguan (PC 6), and Hegu (Li 4) 30 min before general anesthesia, and then with Han's acupoint nerve stimulator (HANS-200). The acupuncture needles without needle bodies were pasted on the acupoints and the electroacupuncture were not turned on in group A, and the 2 Hz continuous wave were produced in group B, and 100 Hz continuous wave were produced in group C and the 2 Hz/100 Hz were produced in group D. The supplementary anesthesia medicine during pneumonectomy, heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), CD4+ /CD/ in venous blood before and after the surgery, and the contents of epinephrine (E) and cortisol (Cor) in plasma at the time of inter-room and outer-room were detected.

RESULTS(1) The supplementary fentanyl in group B and C were lower than those in group A and D (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). (2) The MAP in the four groups at intratracheal intubation (T1) were all higher than those at before anesthesia (T0) (all P < 0.01), and the ascending extent in group B, C and D were lower than that in group A (all P < 0.01). The HR at T in group A was higher than that at T0 (P < 0.05) and there were no significant differences in the other groups (all P > 0.05), and the ascending extent in group B and D were lower than that in group A (both P < 0.05). The MAP and HR at the other moment in all the groups were maintained stable. (3) CD4+ /CD8+ in group A after pneumonectomy was lower than that before the surgery (P < 0.05), and there were no significant differences in the other groups (all P > 0.05). (4) The content of E and Cor after the surgery were all increased (all P < 0.01), and the ascending extent of E in group D was lower than that in group A (P < 0.05), and the ascending level of Cor in group B and D were lower than that in group A (P < 0.01) and group B compared with group C and D were got the same result.

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture-drug compound anesthesia can attenuate the stress reaction so as to protect organs under the condition of less drug and can alleviates the undulate phenomenon of MAP and HR at intubation and stabilize CD4+ /CD8+ after pneumonectomy. Among them, the 2 Hz and 2 Hz/100 Hz electroacupuncture groups have the comparatively better effects.