Acupuncture
Stimulation of ST-36 (Zusanli) Significantly Mitigates Acute Lung Injury in
Lipopolysaccharide-StimulatedRats
Huang CL , et al. Acupuncture and Moxibustion Institute, Nanjing University of
Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
BACKGROUND: We sought to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of
acupuncture stimulation of ST-36 (Zusanli) on endotoxemia-induced acute lung
injury in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated rats. METHODS: Sixty rats were
randomized into six groups (n = 10): (i) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) control group,
(ii) normal saline (N/S) control group, (iii) LPS plus ST-36 group, (iv) N/S
plus ST-36 group, (v) LPS plus sham point (Sham) group, and (vi) N/S plus Sham
group. Manual acupuncture stimulation of ST-36 (designated as 'ST-36') or a
'non-acupoint' (designated as 'Sham') was performed in lightly immobilized rats
for 30 min. Then, LPS injection was employed to induce sepsis. Rats were killed
at 6 h after LPS injection and lung injury, nitric oxide (NO) biosynthesis and
inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression were assayed. RESULTS: Significant lung
injury, pulmonary iNOS expression and systemic and pulmonary NO biosynthesis
were noted in the LPS groups. Rats in the LPS plus Sham group had lung injury,
pulmonary iNOS expression, systemic and pulmonary NO biosynthesis similar to
those observed in the LPS group. However, the degree of lung injury, pulmonary
iNOS expression and pulmonary NO biosynthesis, but not systemic NO biosynthesis,
were significantly attenuated in the LPS plus ST-36 group as compared with those
in both the LPS group and the LPS plus Sham group. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture
stimulation of ST-36 may be effective as a prophylaxis measure against sepsis.
However, results from this study do not support the use of acupuncture for the
treatment of sepsis.
Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2006 Jul;50(6):722-30.
Source PubMed
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Acupuncture
for Initiation of Labor in Nulliparous Women
Harper TC , et al. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
University of North Carolina, NC, USA.
Objective. To evaluate the utility of outpatient acupuncture for labor
stimulation.Methods. Nulliparous women at 39 4/7 weeks or greater with a
singleton gestation and Bishop score of less than 7 were randomized to usual
medical care (control group) versus usual care and three outpatient acupuncture
treatments (acupuncture group). Each treatment consisted of eight needles
applied to bilateral points LI4, SP6, UB31, and UB32. The primary outcome was
time elapsed from the time of randomization to delivery. Secondary outcomes
included rates of cesarean section and induction of labor. Medical records were
abstracted for maternal demographic, medical, and delivery outcome data. A
priori sample size calculation revealed that 56 women were required to detect a
72-hour difference in delivery time with a power of 83% and an alpha of 0.05.
Student's t-test, Chi-square, and Kaplan-Meier statistics were used to compare
groups.Results. Fifty-six women were randomized and completed the study
procedures. Race, age, gestational age, and cervical Bishop score were similar
in both groups. Mean time to delivery occurred 21 hours sooner in the
acupuncture group, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (p
= 0.36). Compared to controls, women in the acupuncture group tended to be more
likely to labor spontaneously (70% vs. 50%, p = 0.12) and less likely to deliver
by cesarean section (39% vs. 17%, p = 0.07). Of women who were not induced,
those in the acupuncture group were more likely to be delivered than the
controls at any point after enrollment (p = 0.05).Conclusion. Acupuncture is
well tolerated among term nulliparous women and holds promise in reducing
interventions that occur in post-term pregnancies.
J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2006 Aug;19(8):465-70.
Source: PubMed
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Effects on Herba
Epimedii and Radix Astragali on Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha and Nuclear
Factor-Kappa B in Asthmatic Rats
Xie JY , et al. Institute of Integrative Medicine, Huashan
Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200040.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Herba Epimedii and Radix Astragali, the two
Chinese herbs for replenishing Shen and strengthening qi, on tumor necrosis
factor-alpha (TNF-alpha, one of the pro-inflammatory factors) and nuclear
factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) in asthmatic rats. METHODS: Rats were randomly
divided into five groups: the normal saline control group, the asthma model
group and the three treated groups treated with high, medium and low dose of the
Chinese herbs. Serum TNF-alpha and NF-kappa B activity in pulmonary tissue were
detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry
respectively. RESULTS: Herba Epimedii and Radix Astragali could effectively
reduce the production of TNF-alpha and inhibit NF-kappa B activity, and the
efficacies in the three treated group were similar, showing insignificant
difference among them. CONCLUSION: Application of Herba Epimedii and Radix
Astragali in the attack or remission stage of asthma could restrain the
development of inflammation by reducing the production of TNF-alpha and
inhibiting NF-kappa B activity.
Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2006 Aug;26(8):723-7
Source: PubMed [TOP] |
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