The close relationship between acupoint and therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture-moxibustion is the basis for acupuncture-moxibustion to achieve the treatment effect. Crucial factors that affect the efficacy of acupuncture-moxibustion therapy should include the features and compatibility of acupoints, acquirement for needling response, reinforcing-reducing needling methods, stimulation methods and intensity, and so on. How to make good use of acupoint to enhance the clinical efficacy of acupuncture-moxibustion is one of the key and urgent scientific problems in the field of acupuncture-moxibustion. In this paper the relationship between acupoint and therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture-moxibustion, as well as its current research state were elucidated. Pondering and prospective on how to carry out researches to improve the clinical efficacy of acupuncture-moxibustion were also undertaken.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Moxibustion

Objective:To analyze the meridian and acupoint-selection patterns in acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) by data mining technique,for exploring acupoints that could be effective for PCOS and providing suggestion and reference in selecting acupoints for the acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of PCOS.Methods:Literatures related to the acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of PCOS published before April 2018 were collected.By a self-made data mining program developed using Microsoft Excel 2007,a database of acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of PCOS was then established.The correlation analysis was performed for the frequency of use of acupoints and acupoint groups.Cluster analysis was also conducted.Results:A total of 92 articles were recruited finally.Sanyinjiao (SP 6),Conception Vessel and chest-abdomen region ranked the top on the list of the most frequently used acupoints,meridians and regions,respectively.Correlation analysis showed that the acupoint group with the highest confidence was Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Zusanli (ST 36),and the group with the highest support was Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Guanyuan (CV 4).Cluster analysis revealed five effective clusters:Guanyuan (CV 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6);Zhongwan (CV 12) and Tianshu (ST 25);Zhongji (CV 3),Zusanli (ST 36) and Qihai (CV 6);Xuehai (SP 10),Shenshu (BL 23),Taichong (LR 3) and Guilai (ST 29);Ganshu (BL 18),Taixi (KI 3),Yinlingquan (SP 9) and Pishu (BL 20).Conclusion:According to the confidence and support report,Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Zusanli (ST 36) or Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Guanyuan (CV 4) are recommended in acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of PCOS,with adjunct points selected for different patterns,e.g.Zhongwan (CV 12) and Tianshu (ST 25) for tonifying spleen and expelling dampness;Zhongji (CV 3) and Qihai (CV 6) for supplementing qi and cultivating blood;Xuehai (SP 10),Shenshu (BL 23),Taichong (LR 3) and Guilai (ST 29) for tonifying kidney and dissolving stasis;Ganshu (BL 18),Taixi (KI 3),Yinlingquan (SP 9) and Pishu (BL 20) for tonifying kidney and spleen and regulating liver.

Objective:To observe whether the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on improving sex hormone disorders and follicle development is by decreasing the expression of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) in rats with experimental polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).Methods:Forty rats were randomly divided into four groups,a normal group (NG),a model group (MG),an EA at acupoints group (EAAG),and an EA at non-acupoints group (EANAG),with 10 rats in each group.The rats in the EAAG and EANAG were intervened by EA treatment for consecutive 14 d.Zhongji (CV 3) and Guanyuan (CV 4) were selected as the acupoints in the EAAG,and the tip of the tail and 1 cm up from the tail tip were selected as the non-acupoints in the EANAG.After treatment,the histomorphological changes of the ovary,the levels of aromatase P450 (P450arom),testosterone and estradiol in the ovarian tissues,and the expressions of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and AMH were observed.Results:After treatment,compared with the MG and EANAG,the expression of AMH decreased (P＜0.05),the levels of P450arom and estradiol increased significantly,and the level of testosterone decreased significantly (all P＜0.01) in the EAAG.Additionally,several normal follicles were present and the number of cystically dilated follicles decreased in the EAAG.Compared with the MG and EANAG,the EAAG obviously had more follicular granulosa cells.Conclusion:EA can down-regulate the abnormally increased expression of AMH to improve sex hormone disorders and follicle development in PCOS rats.

Objective: To observe the effects of herb-partitioned moxibustion and ginger-partitioned moxibustion on the growth of colon tumors in rats with colitis-associated colon cancer (CACC), and explore the mechanism of moxibustion intervening CACC through the purinergic receptor P2X ligand-gated ion channel 7 (P2X7R)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. Methods: A total of 26 male Sprague-Dawley rats were selected. According to the random number table method, 6 rats were selected as the normal group. The remaining 20 rats were injected intraperitoneally with azoxymethane (AOM) combined with oral dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) to prepare the CACC model. After the model was successfully established, 2 rats were randomly selected for model identification. The remaining 18 rats which were successfully modeled were randomly divided into a model group, a herb-partitioned moxibustion group and a ginger-partitioned moxibustion group, with 6 rats in each group. Moxibustion intervention was performed in the herb-partitioned moxibustion group and the ginger-partitioned moxibustion group at Qihai (CV 6) and bilateral Tianshu (ST 25). Moxibustion was performed twice at each point each time, once a day, at a 1-day interval after 6 consecutive interventions, for a total of 30 interventions. After intervention, the colon tumor load, pathological change and histopathological score were observed. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of VEGF, P2X7R, phospho-STAT3 (p-STAT3), and nuclear factor-kappa B p65 (NF-κB p65) proteins in rat colon tissue. Western blot was used to detect the levels of p-STAT3 and NF-κB p65 proteins in rat colon tissue. Results: Compared with the normal group, the colon tumor load and histopathological score in the model group were significantly increased (both P<0.001), and different grades of dysplasia were observed in colon tissue from the model group, reaching the degree of adenocarcinoma; the expression level of P2X7R protein in colon tissue was significantly decreased (P<0.001), and the expression levels of p-STAT3, NF-κB p65 and VEGF proteins were significantly increased (all P<0.001) in the model group. Compared with the model group, the colon tumor load, colon histopathological score and the levels of p-STAT3, NF-κB p65 and VEGF proteins in colon tissue were significantly decreased (all P<0.05) in the herb-partitioned moxibustion group and the ginger-partitioned moxibustion group while the expression levels of P2X7R protein in colon tissue were significantly increased (both P<0.05). Conclusion: Both herb-partitioned moxibustion and ginger-partitioned moxibustion can reduce the colon tumor load in CACC rats and delay the progression of colon adenomas. The mechanism may be mediated by the P2X7R/STAT3 pathway to inhibit STAT3 phosphorylation, thereby reducing VEGF protein expression.

OBJECTIVETo assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion for treatment of ulcerative colitis.

METHODSRandomized controlled trials or clinical controlled trials of acupuncture and moxibustion for interfere of ulcerative colitis in recent 10 years were reviewed and Meta-analysis was made for the literature results.

RESULTSAltogether 11 papers of clinical study were enrolled. Heterogeneous tests were conducted for the results of the 11 studies, as a result, chi2 = 8.55, P = 0.67. The fixed effect model was used for statistical analysis, after combination OR = 3.82, confidence interval of 95% was 2.65-5.52. The rhombus was located at the right side of the medium line. After Z test, Z = 7.14, P < 0.01, the therapeutic effect and the cured rate in the treatment group were significantly higher than those of the control group.

CONCLUSIONThe therapeutic effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on ulcerative colitis is superior to that of western medicine with safety and less adverse reactions.

OBJECTIVETo study the burning characteristics of moxa stick.

METHODSA self-designed moxa stick burning temperature measuring device, which was assembled with ALTEC intelligence digital setter and SJ-600 thermocouple, was used to conduct next four experiences: 1) embedding a thermocouple inside a moxa stick to measure peak burning temperature; 2) pulling a thermocouple embedded in the moxa stick at the proper rate to detect combustion stability; 3) elucidating temperature distribution of transverse section by measuring the temperature in the center, radius midpoint and lateral; 4) drawing temperature-time-space curves by pulling the thermocouples in the former three observation points.

RESULTSThe experiment indicated that the burning temperature peak of three-year moxa stick (Hubei Herbal Medicine St. Qichun Technology Co., Ltd.) was 848 degrees C which had good combustion stability. Furthermore, the temperature in the center, radius midpoint and lateral of transverse section were 843 degrees C, 731 degrees C and 410 degrees C, respectively, and its burning temperature-time-space curves was drawn, which showed the real-time burning temperature and the peak burning temperature and were regarded as ultimate indice to integrate the formers.

CONCLUSIONThe measuring system elaborately reflecting the burning features of moxa stick may provide reference for manufacture industry of moxa stick quality criteria for its convenience and accuracy.

To illustrate the theoretical basis of warming and dredging function of moxibustion from the treatment features, indications and effects. The causation of moxibustion is warming stimulation, and the mechanism of action is dredging meridians and collaterals. In a word, promoting the dredging function by warming is the main mechanism of therapeutic effect of moxibustion. It is summarized that warming and dredging function of moxibustion has the differences in weakness and strongness, and degree of urgency; and the initial study of clinical application is discussed as well.
Humans ; Meridians ; Models, Theoretical ; Moxibustion ; Physiological Phenomena

OBJECTIVETo provide scientific foundations for clinical and acupoints researches on acupuncture for treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases.

METHODSReview the correlated documents of clinical experimental researches issued from 1995 to 2005, and the clinical and experimental documents about remedy of inflammatory bowel diseases by acupuncture and moxibustion were summarized and analyzed.

RESULTSAcupuncture and moxibustion had significant therapeutic effects on inflammatory bowel diseases, and the studies on the mechanisms have achieved some progresses, but the designs and the methods of these studies need to be improved.

CONCLUSIONAfterwards, the specificity of acupoints, and factors of influencing the specificity should be studied via effective diseases treated with acupuncture and moxibustion, so as sum up common regularity, rich and develop the theory about specificity of acupoints to guide clinical treatment of acupuncture and moxibustion.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of moxibustion in treating knee osteoarthritis (KO) and analyze its cost-effectiveness.Method Fifty-eight KO patients were randomized into a moxibustion group and an electroacupuncture (EA) group, 29 cases in each group. The two groups were treated 3 times a week, for successive 4 weeks. The knee joint function and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for knee joint pain were scored before and after the treatment, and the two groups were analyzed by using health economic methods.Result The knee joint function scores were significantly changed after the treatment in the two groups (P<0.05); the excellent rate was 96.6％ in EA group versus 75.9％ in moxibustion group, and the general excellent rate in EA group was markedly higher than that in moxibustion group (P<0.05); the total effective rate for pain was 93.1％ in moxibustion group versus 96.6％ in EA group, and the between-group difference was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). The cost-effectiveness ratio was 6.42 in moxibustion group versus 16.86 in EA group; the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was 298.55 in EA group. Conclusion Moxibustion and EA both can effectively improve knee joint function and mitigate knee joint pain, while compared with EA, moxibustion has a higher health economic value.

LU Shou-yan is a famous acupuncture and moxibustion expert of our country in modern time. He bent himself to the cause of acupuncture and moxibustion throughout his life, propagated acupuncture and moxibustion in the adverse circumstances, and devoted himself to the education of acupuncture and moxibustion, giving no thought to personal safety; for perfecting theory of acupuncture and moxibustion, he studied intensively with great concentration, and creatively put forward effective methods of acupuncture and moxibustion; he earlier advocated experimental studies of acupuncture and moxibustion, promoting development of acupuncture and moxibustion sciences; he wrote books to expound theories, promoting propagation of acupuncture and moxibustion sciences. He contributes his lifetime for development of acupuncture and moxibustion cause.
Acupuncture ; China ; History, 20th Century