BACKGROUND: For spasticity and flaccidity after stroke are different between each other qualitatively,the treatments of them with acupuncture are various.OBJECTIVE: To probe into the effective therapeutic methods for limb spasticity after stroke.DESIGN: A randomized controlled observation based on patients.SETTING: Department of acupuncture and massage in a college of traditional Chinese medicine.PARTICIPANTS: All of the cases were originated from 57 in-patients collected from the ward of Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion of First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2002 to December 2003.METHODS: According to the admission sequence of patients,two groups were divided by the random number table. Muscle-region acupuncture was formed on the basis of joint needling( guan ci),relaxing needling( hui ci)and fire needling(fanzhen jie ci) and was used to treat 24 cases of spasticity of stroke. In addition,the control of 24 cases was designed treated by the points only on yangming meridian. The comparative observation on therapeutic effects was carried on with Ashworth and SIAS,the relevant evaluation methods on spasticity in modern rehabilitation medicine,and with isodynamic time-measuring method as well.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① SIAS integrals; ② Ashworth grades of spasticity; ③ Isodynamic time-measuring method.RESULTS: SIAS integrals before and after treatment were 6.98 ± 3.52,12.59 ± 3.36 in muscle region group,and 7. 12 ± 3.38,8.75 ± 3.42 in yangming group,indicating significant difference( P ＜ 0. 01). The differences were also significant in Ashworth analysis and quantitative evaluation with isodynamic time-measuring method on spasticity in two groups ( P＜0.05 or P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: Muscle region needling is a kind of method with definite therapeutic effect on spasticity after stroke in acupuncture and moxibustion.

This article summarizes and analysis the rules of acupoint selection in the treatment of dysmenorrhea.Method:Computer retrieval and manual search were combined to look for domestic literature on dysmenorrhea treated by acupuncture and moxibustion in year 2003 to 2011.There were altogether 20 qualified articles,concerning 28 acupoints.The above results showed that in the treatment of dysmenorrhea,the commonly used points are distributed in Ren,spleen meridian of foot-Taiyin,foot Yangming meridian and foot Taiyang meridian.Specific acupoints was the main type for selecting points.

Objective To study the relative specificity of Yanglingquan on relieving spastic gastrocnemius. Methods According to evidence-based medicine/DME principle, the effect of Yanglingquan in relieving gastrocnemius spasm of old women was studied and evaluated by standard diagnostic and efficacy criteria in random blind multi-center clinical test, with Yanglingquan as the observation group and non-related acupoint Quchi as control group. The effect was investigated by muscle spasm rehabilitation assessment methods. Results There were significant differences in the grade integral of symptoms of both groups between before and after treatment (P 0.05). Conclusion The effect of Yanglingquan in relieving gastrocnemius spasm was better than Quchi, and gastrocnemius spasm isn’t relevant to the content of K+, Na+, Cl-, Ca2+ in blood.

Objective To observe the mechanism of herbal cake separated moxibustion to hyperlipemia (HLP) and atherosclerosis (AS) rabbits on cell and molecular level. Method 75 rabbits were divided into 5 groups randomly:blank group, model group of HLP and AS, direct moxibustion group, herbal cake separated moxibustion group, herb group, 15 rabbits each group. Model rabbits of HLP and AS were built by immunity injury method. The expression of VCAM-1 mRNA and E-sel mRNA were determined with the method of RT-PCR. Results The expression of E-sel mRNA in herbal cake separated moxibustion group, direct moxibustion group and herb group are obviously decreased (P

Daiwenjiu Gao plasters were stuck onto the following two groups of acupoints,group 1 including acupoints Guanyuan (CV 4), Shenshu (BL 23) and Zusanli (ST 36) and group2 including acupoints Zhongji (CV 3), Pangguangshu (BL 28) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), to treat 100 cases of infantile enuresis, the results showed that 92 cases were cured, 6 cases got remarkable effect, 2 cases got effect, with total effective rate being 100%.

Objective: To seek the optimal acupuncture time for primary dysmenorrhea and provide clinical basis for optimal acupuncture treatment protocol. Methods:A total of 90 eligible cases were randomly allocated into three groups, 30 cases in each group. Points Guanyuan (CV 4), bilateral Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) were selected for patients in all three groups, with a different treatment duration: 15 min in group A, 30 min in group B and 45 min in group C. Then the clinical efficacy in each group was evaluated by pain symptom scoring. Results:As for the pain symptom scores, there were statistically significant intra-group differences between before and after treatment in three groups (allP<0.05); coupled with statistically significant inter-group differences between group B and the other two groups (bothP<0.05). As for clinical efficacy, there were statistical differences between group B and the other two groups (bothP<0.05), indicating that 30 min of acupuncture is the optimal duration in the treatment of dysmenorrhea. Conclusion:With the same needling manipulation, 30 min of acupuncture treatment achieves a better efficacy for primary dysmenorrhea.

Acupoint compatibility is a basic element for acupuncture prescription and an important link for clinical acupuncture workers to obtain a therapeutic effect. Studying factors influencing the effect of acupoint combination and ascertaining its concept and connotation are of important significance for studying the mechanism of acupuncture action. By sorting out, summing up and analyzing relevant modern literature, it is found that factors influencing the effect of acupoint combination are those affecting the therapeutic effects of combination of two or more than two acupoints. Its contents include five aspects: combination mode, combination effect, stimulation method, time factor and body status. Analysis and induction show that acupoint selection is the primary task in studying factors influencing the effect of acupoint combination.

Objective:To observe the effects of moxibustion pretreatment on Glutathione Peroxidase(GSH-Px),Superoxide Dismutase(SOD),and Malondialchehyche(MDA)in gastric mucosa of rats with stress ulcer,and to investigate the mechanism of moxibustion pretreatment preventing the oxidized injury of gastric mucosa.Methods:Forty-eight healthy SD rats were randomly allocated into 4 groups,namely control group,model group,acupoint moxibustion group,and non-acupoint moxibustion group.The ulcer model was developed by restraint and water immersion stress,Ulcer index(UI)was calculated with Guth method,and the contents of GSH-Px,and MDA and SOD activity in the gastric tissues were measured with chromatometry method.Results:Compared those in the model group and nonacupoint moxibustion group,moxibustion at Zusanli(ST 36)could decrease the UI(P<0.01)and MDA(P<0.05)contents,and increase the activity of GSH-Px(P<0.01)and SOD(P<0.05).Conclusion:Pretreatment of moxibustion at Zusanli(ST 36)could promote the recovery of gastric injury in rats induced by restraint and water immersion stress by enhancing the activity of GSH-Px and SOD,and lower MDA content.

Primary insomnia (PI) is now a nonorganic sleep disorder that seriously affects the quality of life of people around the world and attracts the attention of medical circles at home and abroad. Western medicine treatment has side effects such as drug dependence and withdrawal rebound and cannot obviously improve the quality of sleep and life, while acupuncture has a good therapeutic effect on PI. This article explores the latest research status of acupuncture treatment for PI. Chinese Journal Net (CNKI, VIP and Wanfang) was mainly searched to retrieve and sum up recent five years’ literature about the study of acupuncture treatment for PI. The results show that acupuncture has an advantage in producing a short-term marked therapeutic effect on PI and being of a high total efficacy rate and can effectively treat primary insomnia.

BACKGROUND: Endothelin and nitrogen monoxide (NO) which are regarded as a pair of factors to maintain equilibrium between vascular stress and hemodynamics have different responses during various diseases. It is the key point for the treatment of atherosclerosis to find out the effect and pathophysiological mechanism of hyperlipemia on endothelial cells, and seek the methods and drugs for protecting vascular endothelin.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of herbal cake-separated moxibustion on contents of plasma endothelin and NO and analyze its regulative mechanism.DESIGN: Randomized controlled animal study.SETTING: College of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.MATERIALS: A total of 60 healthy New Zealand white rabbits weighing 1.5-2.5 kg of both genders were selected in this study. Herbal cake was made of danshen, shanzha, yujin, dahuang and zexie, which were crushed into powder according to a certain ratio. Then, vinegar was added to make paste which was 5-8 mm in diameter and 2-3 mm in depth. Moxa cone:(Shenjiu 300) was provided by Suzhou Dongfang Airong Factory (type:Dongfang I; batch number: 20021212).METHODS: The experiment was carried out in the Experimental Animal Center of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between November 2003 and October 2004. All rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups: blank control group, hyperlipemia model group, direct moxibustion group and herbal cake-separated moxibustion group with 15 in each group. Except blank control group, rabbits in other three groups were fed with high fat forage to establish hyperlipemia models. Two groups of acupoints were acupunctured alternatively: Group Ⅰ: Juque (CV14), Tianshu (ST25) at bilateral sides, and Fenglong (ST 40) at bilateral sides; Group Ⅱ:Xinshu(BL15),Ganshu(BL18) and Pishu(BL20), at bilateral sides respectively.On the first day, moxa cone was directly adherent to acupoints of rabbits in direct moxibustion group and lighten for acupuncture, but in herbal cakeseparated moxibustion group, moxa cone which was gotten rid of the carriage was adherent to herbal cake which was put on acupoints and lighted for acupuncture. Each acupoint was acupunctured for 4 successive dosages for once a day. On the next day, the other group of acupoints was acupunctured.The course was 40 days. Rabbits in other two groups were not treated with any ways. On the 41st day, contents of plasma endothelin and NO were measured in each group with radio-immunity method and nitrate-reductase reduction method, respectively.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Contents of plasma endothelin and NO of rabbits after 40-day treatment.RESULTS: Five rabbits died because of diarrhoea or other reasons, including 2 in blank control group, 1 in model group, 1 in direct moxibustion group and 1 in herbal cake-separated moxibustion group. Therefore, 55 rabbits were involved in the final analysis. ① Content of plasma endothelin was lower in herbal cake-separated moxibustion group than that in model group [(431.57±63.68), (500.14±75.41) ng/L, P ＜ 0.05], but there was no significant difference between herbal cake-separated moxibustion group and direct moxibustion group [(431.57±63.68), (429.08±77.07) ng/L, P ＞ 0.05]. ② On NO content, there was an increasing tendency of model group ＜ blank group ＜ herbal cake-separated moxibustion group ＜ direct moxibustion, but there was no significant difference between any two groups [(27.17±16.55),(29.39±13.24), (30.24±20.25), (30.47±19.62) μmol/L, P ＞ 0.05].CONCLUSION: Effects of both two methods of moxibustion in the rabbits with hyperlipemia on content of endothelin are significant and similar, but there are no significant effects on NO content.