Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Koro ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To observe the effects of needling Baihui (GV 20), Shuigou (GV 26) and Shenmen (HT 7) on cerebral glucose metabolism in patients with vascular dementia (VD) by cerebral functional imaging technique. Methods: Twenty-five patients with VD were divided into 5 groups (Group A, B, C, D and E) randomly. Patients in the Group A were treated by needling routine acupoints for hemiplegia (Acupoints of the three yang meridians of hand and foot), and besides the routine acupoints, patients in the Group B were treated by needling Baihui(GV 20), the Group C by Shuigou(GV 26), the Group D by Shenmen(HT 7), and the Group E by Baihui(GV 20), Shuigou(GV 26), and Shenmen(HT 7). All the patients were examined by Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to detect the cerebral glucose metabolism in the bilateral frontal lobes(orbital gyri), parietal lobes, temporal lobes(hippocampus and hippocampal gyrus), occipital lobes, thalamus, lentiform nucleus, caudate nuclei, cingulate gyms and cerebellum before treatments and after treatments. Results: After needling the routine acupoints for hemiplegia, glucose metabolism increased in lentiform nucleus and temporal lobe;needling Baihui(GV 20), increased in frontal lobe, temporal lobe and lentiform nucleus;needling Shuigou(GV 26), increased in frontal lobe, thalamus and lentiform nucleus; needling Shenmen(HT 7), increased in parietal lobe and lentiform nucleus; and needling these three acupoints, increased in frontal lobe, temporal lobe, thalamus and lentiform nucleus. Conclusion:Needling Baihui(GV 20), Shuigou(GV 26) and Shenmen(HT 7) affect glucose metabolism in different functional regions of the brain, and Baihui(GV 20), Shuigou(GV26) and Shenmen(HT 7) relate to different functional regions of the brain.

Objective To study the influence of electroacupuncture on the expression of Nestin in neural stem cells after focal cerebral ischemia in rats and to explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture in treating ischemic brain injury. Methods The model of middle cerebral artery occlusion was made by using opening cranium hot coagulation in 72 rats, who were divided randomly into a model group and an electroacupuncture group. Electroacupuncture was applied on "Dazhui" and "Baihui" points in rats in electroacupuncture group, and immunohistochemistry method was used to observe the number of Nestin expression positive cells on the 3th, 7th, 14th and 21st days after ischemia. Results There were Nestin positive cells in the cortex, hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) and striatum at different time points after cerebral ischemia, and the number of Nestin positive cells in various brain regions were increased significantly on the 7th day (P

0.05) while that in groups A and C differed from group B ( P

Qijie theory is one of the important components of TCM meridian and collateral system. It is the shortcut for the communication from the exterior to the interior and for the transverse connection, strengthens the therapeutic effects of acupuncture and moxibustion on the disorders of internal organs and enlarges the indications of acupoints. Professor LAI Xinsheng originally creats Tongyuan acupuncture technique. It is a kind of acupuncture therapeutic methods, including promoting the circulation of the governor vessel, regulating the mind and conducting qi to the origin. In order to analyze the connection between Tongyuan acupuncture technique and traditional meridian and collateral theory, the connotations of Tongyuan acupuncture technique and qijie, as well as the in-terrelationship between them are taken as the basis in the paper. By tracing the literature records, the original concept of qijie is detected. Through proving clinically Tongyuan acupuncture technique, it is revealed that qijie is the arrowhead on the main road of meridian qi circulation and is the essential connotation of the direct path of the body surface connecting with the deep layers of the body as well as the zangfu organs and tissues. It is summarized that the traditional qijie theory provides the powerful theoretic evidence for the treatment with Tongyuan acupuncture technique.
Acupuncture ; education ; history ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; methods ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Qi ; history

【Objective】To observe the effect of electroacupuncture(EA) on sperm count and quality in oligoasthenozoospermic rats.【Methods】Twenty-four male SD rats were given adenine by intragastral administration to establish oligoasthenozoospermic models.After the modeling,the survival rats were randomized into EA group(N=8) and model group(N=8).EA group was treated with EA of Guanyuan(CV4),Shenshu(BL23) and Sanyinjiao(SP6) acupoints.Other 10 rats served as the normal controls.Sperm samples were analyzed by computer-aided semen analysis system(CASA) and the observed sperm parameters included sperm concentration,semen viability and percentage of forward progressive sperm.【Results】Compared with the normal group,sperm concentration,semen viability and percentage of forward progressive sperm were much decreased in the model group(P

Objective To investigate the effect of acupuncture at the primary points of the three yin meridians of the foot on blood pressure in an animal model of high/low blood pressure and explore the specific effect of the meridian points-the primary points of the three yin meridians of the foot.Methods The study included the parts of hypertension and hypotenstion. Both parts were allocated to the primary points of the three yin meridians of the foot, non-acupoint, model and blank groups, six rats each. Except the model and blank groups, all the groups were given acupuncture treatment for seven consecutive days. Blood pressure was measured after the completion of treatment. Five consecutive measurements were made in each rat. Mean values of blood pressure were taken.Results For the part of hypertension, blood pressure at each time point was higher in the acupuncture groups than in the blank control group and lower than in the model group, and there were statistically significant differences (P<0.05), indicating that acupuncture at the primary points of the three yin meridians of the foot has a hypotensive effect. The hypotensive effects of Taichong and Taixi were better than those of Taibai and the non-acupoint (P<0.05). The hypotensive effects of Taichong and Taixi were equal (P>0.05). The hypotensive effect of Taibai was equal to that of the non-acupoint (P>0.05). For the part of hypotension, blood pressure at each time point was lower in the acupuncture groups than in the blank control group and higher than in the model group, and there were statistically significant differences (P<0.05), indicating that acupuncture at the primary points of the three yin meridians of the foot has a pressor effect. The pressor effect was worse in the the non-acupoint group than in the primary points of the three yin meridians of the foot group (P<0.05). The pressor effects of Taibai and Taixi were equal but worse than that of Taichong (P<0.05).Conclusions Acupuncture at the primary points of the three yin meridians of the foot has a specific bidirectional regulating effect on blood pressure. Of them, point Taichong produces a best bidirectional regulating effect on blood pressure.

Objective To investigate the microcosmic pathologic mechanism of ac upoint application for asthma. Methods Sixty guinea pigs were randomly alloca ted to three groups: Group A (model control), Group B (guinea pig model treated with acupoint application) and Group C (normal control). Group B was treated wit h the application of herbal medicines on the acupoints located at neck and back. Results From the 6th day of treatment, incubation period of nodding breath was prolonged in Group B as compared with Group A (P

Purpose: To investigate a clinical treatment for allergic asthma. Method: Acupoint application was used, and its effect was compared with that of Western medicine to evaluate the results. Results and Conclusion: It was found that the long-tern effect of acupoint application was significantly better than that of aminophylline; acupoint application had obviously different effects on different types of asthma based on TCM differentiation of syndromes; its short-term effect was not significantly related to the course and condition of the disease. It is indicated that acupoint application is an effective, convenient and safe treatment with little side effect for asthma.

【Objective】To observe the effect of acupoint external application of herbal drugs on pathological changes of nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis mice. 【Methods】 Sixty BALB/c mice were divided into 5 groups: A(normal),B(model),C(treated with external application of herbal drugs on acupoints),D(treated with dexamethasone) and E(treated with PBS).Except group A,the mice in other groups were sensitized by ovalbumin(OVA).On the 15~(th) of the first sensitization,group C received external application of medicinal disc(mainly composed of Semen Sinapis, Rhizoma Corydalis,Herba Asari,Radix Kansui,Fructus Xanthii,etc.) on Dazhui (GV14)point,group D received intraperitoneal injection of 0.1?g/L dexamethasone(0.5?mL for each mouse) one hour before nasal dripping of OVA solution,and group E received external application of paper disc on Dazhui point and intraperitoneal injection of(0.1?g/L) PBS(0.5 mL for each mouse) one hour before nasal dripping of OVA solution,qd,for 4 weeks.After treatment,the mice were executed and the nasal mucosa was fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde.Routine paraffin slices were prepared and stained by haematoxylin and eosin.The pathological features of nasal mucosa were observed under light microscope,and eosinophil(EOS),neutrophil and lymphocyte count was performed in different groups.【Results】Compared to group A,the infiltration of EOS and neutrophil in nasal mucosa was obvious in group B(P0.05).【Conclusion】The infiltration of EOS in nasal mucosa plays an important role in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis and the decrease of EOS infiltration may be one of the therapeutic mechanism of external application of herbal drugs on acupoints for allergic rhinitis.