Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture treatment for tinnitus by point selection under the theory of “kidney and Sanjiao communication”. Method Fifty-three tinnitus patients were randomly allocated to two groups. The treatment group of 26 patients received acupuncture and the control group of 27 patients, medication. The course of treatment was four weeks. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) score were recorded in the two groups before and after treatment. The improving effects on tinnitus symptoms were compared between the two groups. Result After two weeks of treatment, there was a statistically significant difference in the THI score (P<0.05) but no significant difference in the VAS score (P>0.05) between the treatment and control groups. After four weeks of treatment, both the VAS and THI scores were lower in the treatment group than in the control groups (P<0.05). After four weeks of treatment, the total efficacy rate was 92.3% in the treatment group and 81.5% in the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion The theory of “kidney and Sanjiao communication” can well guide clinical acupuncture treatment of tinnitus and improve the symptoms of tinnitus and the quality of life in the patients. Its therapeutic effect is superior to that of medication.

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical effects between ginger-partition moxibustion combined with glucocorticoid and simple oral glucocorticoid for thyreoitis at subacute stage.

METHODSEighty-one patients were randomly divided into an observation group (41 cases) and a control group (40 cases). In the observation group, ginger-partition moxibustion and hormone were applied. Moxa cones were used at local ashi points, Zusanli (ST 36), Guanyuan (CV 4) and Qihai (CV 6), six cones every point, once every other day and three times a week. Besides, 24 mg methylprednisolone tablets were adopted orally every day, and in two weeks the dose was 16 mg/d, in four weeks 8 mg/d, in six weeks 4 mg/d; all the patients were observed for 8 week. In the control group, simple methylprednisolone was prescribed orally, and the dose, the usage and treatment time were the same as those in the observation group. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxin (T4) and ultra-sensitive thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) before and after treatment were observed in the two groups, as well as fever, the pain of thyroid gland, the regression time of swelling and adverse reaction.

RESULTSThe time of thyroid gland pain relieved of the observation group was earlier than that of the control group [(3.07 ± 0.78) days vs (3.62 ± 0.92) days, P < 0.05]. After treatment, T3, T4 and ESR were declined apparently (all P < 0.01), and TSH was obviously increased in the two groups (both P < 0.01). After 2-week treatment, ESR in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). After 4-week treatment, T3, T4, TSH and ESR in the observation group were better than those in the control group (all P < 0.05). After 8 weeks, all indices in the observation group were superior to those in the control group, without statistical significance between the two groups (all P > 0.05). The effects of the observation group in 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 8 weeks were better than those in the control group (all P < 0.05). The cured course was shorter in the observation group than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The adverse reaction rate in the observation group was lower than that in the control group [4.9% (2/41) vs 22.5% (9/40), P < 0.05]. Three months later after treatment, the cured patients were followed. There was no recrudescence in the observation group and three patients caught the disease again in the control group, but there was no statistical significance between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONGinger-partition moxibustion combined with glucocorticoid achieves better effect than simple oral glucocorticoid for thyreoitis at subacute stage, and the adverse reaction is less, which presents the clinical advantages of the integration of Chinese and western medicine.

Adult ; Female ; Ginger ; chemistry ; Glucocorticoids ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Thyroid Gland ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Thyroid Hormones ; metabolism ; Thyroiditis ; drug therapy ; pathology ; therapy ; Thyrotropin ; metabolism ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at different acupoints on apoptosis-related serum and expression of microRNA (miRNA) in rats with myocardial ischemia, so as to explore its mechanism of action.

METHODSA total of 48 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a Neiguan group and a acupoint compatibility group, 12 rats in each group. Isoprenaline hydrochloride (ISO) with a daily dose of 2 mg/kg was subcutaneously injected for 14 days to establish the myocardial ischemia model in the model group, Neiguan group and acupoint compatibility group. Rats in the normal group were subcutaneously injected with an equal volume of normal saline. After modeling, rats in the Neiguan group were treated with EA at "Neiguan" (PC 6), while rats in the acupoint compatibility group were treated with EA at "Guanyuan" (CV 4), "Zusanli" (ST 36) and "Neiguan" (PC 6). Rats in the normal group and model group were treated with immobilization, once day for 21 days. The contents of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); apoptosis index (AI) of myocardial cells was detected by TUNEL method; the expressions of miRNA-1, miRNA-133, miRNA-208 and miRNA-499 were detected by real-time PCR method.

RESULTSCompared with the normal group, the serum CK-MB, VCAM-1 and ET-1 were significantly increased in the model group, Neiguan group and acupoint compatibility group (all P < 0.01), and the apoptosis index was significantly increased (all P < 0.01). The CK-MB, VCAM-1 and ET-1 in the Neiguan group and acupoint compatibility group were significantly lower than those in the model group (all P < 0.01); the AI was reduced, which was more significant in the acupoint compatibility group (P < 0.05). Compared with the normal group, the expression of miRNA-133 was reduced (P < 0.01) and those of miRNA-208, miRNA-1 and miRNA-499 were significantly increased in the model group (all P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the expression of miRNA-133 was increased (both P < 0.01) and that of miRNA-208, miRNA-1 and miRNA-499 were significantly reduced (all P < 0.01) in the Neiguan group and acupoint compatibility group. Compared with the Neiguan group, the expression of miRNA-133 was increased (P < 0.01) and those of miRNA-208, miRNA-1 and miRNA-499 were significantly reduced in the acupoint compatibility group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONEA at acupoints, especially acupoint compatibility group, could effectively prevent and treat myocardial ischemia, and the protective effect is possibly correlated to the double regulation on increasing the expression of miRNA-133 and inhibiting the expression of miRNA-1, miRNA-208, miRNA-499.

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electroacupuncture ; Endothelin-1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; metabolism ; Myocardial Ischemia ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Objective To investigate the effectiveness of three different anesthetic techniques in intraventricular catheterization and its effect on the survival rate of rats. Methods Thirty Wistar rats were equally allocated into 3 groups:chloral hydrate group,pentobarbital sodium group and isoflurane group. Intraventricular catheterization was performed in the rats after anesthesia with i. p. injection of chloral hydrate and pentobarbital sodium, and isoflurane inhalation, respectively. Levels of blood glucose were detected before and at 15 and 30 minutes and 1, 3, 7, 14, 28 days after anesthesia. Body mass and 24-hour food intake were recorded before and at 1, 3, 7 days after anesthesia. The onset time and effective time of anesthesia, operation time and the survival rates on 30 days of the rats were compared and analyzed. Results The onset time and effective time of anesthesia, and the operation time in the isoflurane group were shorter than that in the chloral hydrate group, while these parameters in this group were shorter than that in the pentobarbital sodium group. Blood glucose in the chloral hydrate group was apparently increased during the surgical operation, while the body mass, 24-hour food intake and blood glucose were decreasing since one day after operation, and all the rats in this group died during the 30-day observation, mainly, due to enteroplegia. Blood glucose in the pentobarbital sodium group was mildly increased after anesthesia, while the body mass, 24-hour food intake and blood glucose were mildly decreased at one day after operation and recovered within one week. In this group, 3 rats died of respiratory distress due to overdose anesthesia and one rat died during the 30 day-observation. The blood glucose in the isoflurane group was mildly increased after operation, while the 24-hour food intake and blood glucose did not markedly changed, the body mass was stably increased, and no rat died during the 30-day-observation. Conclusions Intraperitoneal injection of chloral hydrate is not suitable for intraventricular catheterization in rats. Intraperitoneal injection of pentobarbital sodium can be only carefully applied for intraventricular catheterization under poorly-limited conditions. Isoflurane inhalation anesthesia is recommended for intraventricular catheterization in rats.