Bloodletting therapy is one of the typical treatment modes of traditional Chinese medicine, and acute soft tissue injury (ASTI) is one of the most common indications for acupuncture therapeutics. In this paper, the current situation of treatments and pathological mechanisms of ASTIs, the existing problems of bloodletting therapy in the treatment of ASTIs and the study strategies are systematically analyzed, indicating that bloodletting therapy is significantly effective in the treatment of ASTIs. Breakthroughs in the treatment of ASTIs will be achieved with the application of bloodletting therapy both in clinical practice and experimental research.

By retrospectively reviewing the current status of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine treatments of chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (CNP), the TCM understanding of its etiologies and pathogenesis, the therapeutic principles and the mechanisms of acupuncture treatment of CNP, the clinical study strategies of acupuncture treatment for CNP were further proposed, which could provide more scientific basis and support for the definite longer-term therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture treatment of CNP. Breakthrough in the treatment of CNP will be achieved with the application of acupuncture therapy both in clinical practice and experimental research.

Cerebral ischemia is one of the most common diseases treated by acupuncture therapeutics. Recent studies indicated that acupuncture treatment by needling the conception and governor vessels had positive effects in promoting neural regeneration in patients after cerebral ischemia injury. Acupuncture intervention could continuously promote the proliferation and differentiation of the neural stem cells in the brain, obviously up-regulate expression of growth factors, accelerate angiogenesis and inhibit apoptosis. Hence, it is necessary to present an exhaustive review on the mechanisms. The present review gives a detailed description of pathological changes of cerebral ischemia and acupuncture intervention applied to the conception and governor vessels, and proposes research prospects in the future.

The cause of immune recurrent abortion is closely related to immune abnormalities. At present, the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome types of immune recurrent abortion mainly include kidney deficiency and blood stasis syndrome, spleen and kidney deficiency syndrome, blood heat syndrome, spleen deficiency syndrome and lung and kidney qi deficiency syndrome; The commonly used TCM compound for treating this disease usually could replenish kidney qi and take effect, so it is considered that the pathogenesis of this disease is mainly kidney deficiency. The mechanism of action of the TCM compound is mainly related to regulating hormone secretion, immune balance and improving local microcirculation.

OBJECTIVETo compare clinical efficacy differences between"regulating conception-governor vessel" acupuncture method and clomiphene for infertility of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

METHODSOne hundred patients of PCOS were randomly assigned into an observation group and a control group, 50 cases in each one. The patients in the observation group were treated with"regulating Conception-Governor Vessel" acupuncture method at Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4), Qihai (CV 6), Zhongji (CV 3), Mingmen (GV 4), Yaoyangguan (GV 3) and Yaoshu (GV 2). The acupuncture treatment started at the end of menstruation, once every other day; after four treatments, the follicle was tested with B ultrasound; when follicle was longer than 18 mm or above, the acupuncture treatment was given once a day until follicle was discharged and acupuncture treatment finished. The patients in the control group were treated with oral administration of clomiphene from 5 days into menstruation, 50 mg per day for 5 consecutive days. Both groups were treated for three menstruation cycle. The menstrual cycles, endometrial thickness, endometrium types (A, B and C), cervical mucus scores, basal body temperature (BBT), cases of ovulation, cases of pregnancy were observed.The levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E), prolactin (PRL), progesterone (P) and testosterone (T) in serum were detected before and after the treatment.

RESULTSAfter the treatment, the menstrual cycles were shortened (both<0.05),the endometrial thickness and cervical mucus scores were increased in the two groups (<0.05,<0.01); the improvement of endometrial thickness and cervical mucus score in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (both<0.01). The percentages of type-A endometrium in both groups were higher than those before the treatment (both<0.05); the number of type-A endometrium in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (<0.05). The ovulation rate was 88.0% (44/50) in the observation group, which was superior to 70.0% (35/50) in the control group (<0.05). After treatment, the levels of LH were reduced in the two groups (<0.05,<0.01), which was more significant in the observation group (<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe"regulating Conception-Governor Vessel" acupuncture method could improve menstrual cycles, increase endomet-rial thickness and promote the development of follicles in PCOS patient; in addition, it could decrease serum LH level, improve the ovarian functions and increase ovulation rate, which is superior to oral administration of clomiphene.