BACKGROUND:Intracranial and extracranial arterial stent implantation is the main therapy for cerebrovascular diseases, especialy for some patients who cannot tolerate surgical operation, but the postoperative rehabilitation and biocompatibility problems restrict the further development of the technology. OBJECTIVE:To explore the rehabilitation efficacy and biocompatibility of acupuncture after degradable cerebrovascular stent implantation. METHODS: A total of 70 patients with cerebral arterial stenosis aged 43-79 years were enroled, including 41 males and 29 females, who were al treated with drug-eluting stent implantation, carotid artery stent implantation in 31 cases, vertebral artery stent implantation in 21 cases, subclavian stent implantation in 5 cases, and middle cerebral artery stent implantation in 13 cases. After stent implantation, al the patients were randomly divided into two groups: control group with routine rehabilitation therapy and acupuncture group with routine rehabilitation therapy+electroacupuncture. After 3 months of treamtnet, neurologic impairment scores, Fugl-Meyer score for motor function, Barthel index, degree of stent stenosis, thromboxane A2, prostacyclin, thromboxane A2/ prostacyclin levels were detected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:At 3 months after treatment, the neurological impairment scores were significantly lower in the acupuncture group than the control group (P < 0.05), but the Fugl-Meyer score for motor function andBarthel index were higher in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the thromboxane A2 and thromboxane A2/prostacyclin levels were significantly decreased in the two groups (P < 0.05), but the prostacyclin levels were increased than those before treatment (P < 0.05). In addition, there were no differences in the thromboxane A2, prostacyclin, thromboxane A2/prostacyclin levels between the two groups. Compared with the control group, the rate of restenosis was significantly lower in the acupuncture group (P < 0.05), and there were no significant difference in the reference vessel diameter, blood vessel stent diameter, decreased vessel diameter index, re-intervention rate between the two groups (P > 0.05). Taken together, acupuncture can promote the rehabilitation efficacy folowing degradable cerebrovascular stent implantation, reduce the incidence of restenosis, and show good biocompatibility.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect ofTong Du acupuncture-moxibustion, conventional acupuncture, and medication on the bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) mobilization markers CD34+and CD133+, neurological deficit score in patients with ischemic stroke.Method Totally 120 eligible subjects with ischemic stroke were randomized into aTong Du acupuncture-moxibustion group (group A), a conventional acupuncture group (group B), and a medication group (group C), 40 in each group. In addition to the conventional medication given to all three groups, patients in group A also received moxibustion at Baihui (GV20), bloodletting at Dazhui (GV14), and acupuncture at Fengchi (GB20), Quchi (LI11), Hegu (LI4), Zusanli (ST36), and Sanyinjiao (SP6); patients in group B also received acupuncture at Fengchi, Quchi, Hegu, Zusanli, and Sanyinjiao; group C received patent Chinese medicine Tong Xin Luo capsules. The intervention lasted 14 d in all three groups. The CD34+and CD133+and neurological deficit score were evaluated and compared before and after intervention.Result The three treatment methods all significantly increased the level of CD34 + and CD133+in peripheral blood (P<0.05,P<0.01); the intergroup comparisons showed significant differences among the three groups (P<0.05), and the level in group A was significantly different from that in group B and C (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between group B and C (P>0.05); the three treatment methods all improved the neurological deficit score to various extent, and the result in group A was significantly different from that in group B and C (P<0.05,P<0.01), and there was also a significant difference between group B and C (P<0.05).ConclusionsTong Du acupuncture-moxibustion, conventional acupuncture, and medication can influence the BMSCs and neurological deficit to different extent; the effect ofTong Du acupuncture-moxibustion on the BMSCs and neurological deficit is more significant than that of the conventional acupuncture and medication, suggesting thatTong Du acupuncture-moxibustion method should have advantage in treating cerebral infarction.