Electric Acupuncture Treatment Research Articles

Clinical observation of electroacupuncture combined with Qingyi Xianxiong Decoction in the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome due to severe acute pancreatitis

To observe the clinical effect of electroacupuncture combined with Qingyi Xianxiong Decoction on the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). From February 2021 to April 2022, 120 patients with ARDS caused by SAP who were admitted to the department of critical care medicine of Tianjin Nankai Hospital and whose syndrome differentiation belonged to the syndrome of knot chest were selected. They were randomly divided into pure traditional Chinese medicine group and acupuncture medicine group, with 60 cases in each group. The pure traditional Chinese medicine group was received Qingyi Xianxiong Decoction on the basis of conventional western medicine treatment, and the acupuncture medicine group was received electric acupuncture treatment on the basis of the pure traditional Chinese medicine group. The two groups continued to be treated for 7 days. The primary outcome was the ventilator-free days within 28 days after admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), and the secondary outcome measures were mechanical ventilation time, the length of ICU stay, total lenth of hospital stay, time of intra-abdominal pressure recovery, scores of organ function, oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2), serum inflammatory factors, blood amylase, urine amylase, etc. Compared with the pure traditional Chinese medicine group, the ventilator-free days in the acupuncture medicine group within 28 days after admission to the ICU were significantly longer [day: 22.10±2.29 vs. 20.97±2.31, P < 0.05, odds ratio (OR) = 1.24, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.053-1.460, P < 0.05]. The time of mechanical ventilation, the length of ICU stay, total length of hospital stay, and recovery time of intra-abdominal pressure were significantly shortened [mechanical ventilation time (days): 5.90±2.29 vs. 7.03±2.31, the length of ICU stay (days): 8.07±1.89 vs. 12.08±2.23, total length of hospital stay (days): 19.55±6.82 vs. 22.28±5.19, recovery time of intra-abdominal pressure (days): 6.05±1.81 vs. 8.45±1.76, all P < 0.05]. The Murray score and bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP) score of the two groups after 7 days of treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment, while PaO2/FiO2 was significantly higher than those before treatment, and the Murray score of the acupuncture medicine group after 7 days of treatment was significantly lower than that of the pure traditional Chinese medicine group [score: 0.50 (0.33, 0.75) vs. 1.00 (1.00, 1.33), P < 0.05], PaO2/FiO2 was significantly higher than that in the pure traditional Chinese medicine group [mmHg (1 mmHg ≈ 0.133 kPa): 390.75±27.73 vs. 330.02±42.34, P < 0.05]. With the prolongation of treatment time, the levels of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amylase and urine amylase in both groups after treatment continued to decrease, and the levels of the inflammatory factors in the acupuncture medicine group after 7 days of treatment were significantly lower than those in the pure traditional Chinese medicine group [TNF-α (ng/L): 38.20±10.00 vs. 45.35±5.09, IL-6 (ng/L): 0.95±0.44 vs. 7.42±1.39, CRP (mg/L): 8.55±2.79 vs. 36.20±13.97, all P < 0.05]. Subgroup analysis showed that biliary system disease was a risk factor for the duration of mechanical ventilation ≥ 7 days in the treatment of ARDS with acupuncture and medicine (OR = 2.728, 95%CI was 1.293-5.754). Compared with the pure traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture combined can better reduce the clinical symptoms of patients with ARDS caused by SAP, promote the recovery of patients, and reduce systemic inflammatory reaction, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Efficacy and safety of electric acupuncture in treatment of intractable facial paralysis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Facial paralysis is a common clinical disease, it was named intractable facial paralysis when the clinical course more than 2 months. Intractable facial paralysis will produce anxiety and depression, which will seriously affect patients' life and work. Electric acupuncture has been widely used in the treatment of intractable facial paralysis. However, the results of clinical studies on the efficacy and safety have been inconsistent. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of electric acupuncture for intractable facial paralysis patients by systematic review and meta-analysis, so as to provide clinical decision-making based on evidence-based medicine. The following databases will be searched by electronic methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database, Wan-fang Data and Chinese Biomedical Database. All of them will be retrieved from the establishment date of the electronic database to March 2022, all included studies will be evaluated risk of bias by the Cochrane Handbook. The total effective rate will be the primary outcome. The systematic review will be conducted with the use of the RevMan5.3 software in this study. This study will obtain efficacy and safety of electric acupuncture for the treatment of intractable facial paralysis. This study will provide clinical decision-making based on evidence-based medicine that whether electric acupuncture could be used to treat intractable facial paralysis, and when and how it might be more effective and safety. It will help standardize electric acupuncture treatment strategies for intractable facial paralysis. CRD42021278541.

Electro-acupuncture for protracted amphetamine abstinence syndrome: study protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial

BackgroundProtracted amphetamine abstinence syndrome is one of the primary causes of relapse for amphetamine-type drug abusers during withdrawal. However, the importance of the management of protracted amphetamine abstinence syndrome is underestimated. Electro-acupuncture may be a safe and effective alternative therapy for protracted amphetamine abstinence syndrome, but the evidence is limited.MethodsThe study is a prospective, two-center, randomized, waitlist controlled, open-label pragmatic trial. A total of 300 patients with protracted amphetamine abstinence syndrome will be recruited. All participants will be randomly assigned to an electro-acupuncture group or a waitlist group in a 1:1 ratio. Participants in the electro-acupuncture group will receive the electrical-acupuncture treatment. Waitlist group participants will not receive electro-acupuncture treatment but will be assessed at each visit. Treatments will be administered twice a week for a total of 4 consecutive weeks. The primary outcome in this study is the change in the ACSA between baseline (week 0) and the completion of treatment (week 4), and the secondary outcomes are changes in the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), the visual analog scale (VAS), the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36).DiscussionThis study will assess the effectiveness of acupuncture in PAAS in real-world settings to provide support for clinical decisions and a basis for subsequent trials comparing acupuncture with other positive regimens.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov ChiCTR2000040619. Registered on 3 December 2020

Downregulation of let-7 by Electrical Acupuncture Increases Protein Synthesis in Mice.

BackgroundOur previous study found that acupuncture with low frequency electrical stimulation (Acu/LFES) prevents muscle atrophy by attenuation of protein degradation in mice. The current study examines the impact of Acu/LFES on protein synthesis.MethodC57/BL6 mice received Acu/LFES treatment on hindlimb for 30 min once. Acu/LFES points were selected by WHO Standard Acupuncture Nomenclature and electric stimulation applied using an SDZ-II Electronic acupuncture instrument. Muscle protein synthesis was measured by the surface-sensing of translation (SUnSET) assay. Exosomes were isolated using serial centrifugation and concentration and size of the collected exosomes were measured using a NanoSight instrument. The mature microRNA library in serum exosomes was validated using a High Sensitivity DNA chip.ResultsProtein synthesis was enhanced in the both hindlimb and forelimb muscles. Blocking exosome secretion with GW4869 decreased the Acu/LFES-induced increases in protein synthesis. MicroRNA-deep sequencing demonstrated that four members of the Let-7 miRNA family were significantly decreased in serum exosomes. Real time qPCR further verified Acu/LFES-mediated decreases of let-7c-5p in serum exosomes and skeletal muscles. In cultured C2C12 myotubes, inhibition of let-7c not only increased protein synthesis, but also enhanced protein abundance of Igf1 and Igf1 receptors. Using a luciferase reporter assay, we demonstrated that let-7 directly inhibits Igf1.ConclusionAcu/LFES on hindlimb decreases let-7-5p leading to upregulation of the Igf1 signaling and increasing protein synthesis in both hindlimb and forelimb skeletal muscles. This provides a new understanding of how the electrical acupuncture treatment can positively influence muscle health.

Electric Acupuncture Treatment Promotes Angiogenesis in Rats with Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Through EphB4/EphrinB2 Mediated Src/PI3K Signal Pathway

BackgroundCerebral infarction is one of the most common causes of disability and death worldwide. It is reported that electric acupuncture was able to improve the prognosis of cerebral infarction by promoting angiogenesis. However, the corresponding signal pathways of angiogenesis promotes by electric acupuncture treatment needs to be further explored. MethodsMCAO rat was employed as the animal model, and clopidogrel hydrogen sulfate treatment was set as the positive control. Behaviors of rats, H&E staining, and TTC-staining was used to evaluate the recovery of infarcted brain tissue and nervous function. After that, immunocytochemical and immunofluorescence staining was used to quantify the angiogenesis and compensatory circulation, which including the analysis of microvessel density, field/ microvessel area ratio, and microvessel diameter. Western blot and RT-PCR for the detection of the related signal molecule, PI3K, Src, and EphB4/ephrinB2. ResultsThe neurologic impairment scores were decreased, and the brain tissue damage that showed with H&E and TTC-staining was relieved by the treatment of electric acupuncture in MCAO rat. The quantification of microvessel density and field/ microvessel area ratio was improved obviously, and the microvessel diameter was decreased which represent the angiogenesis of capillary in day 3 and 7 by the electric acupuncture treatment. We also found that the level of Src and PI3K was increased markedly followed by the up-regulation of EphB4 and EphrinB2 mRNA during the electric acupuncture treatment, and the pre-treatment of Src and/or PI3K inhibitor was able to disturb the angiogenesis of capillary. ConclusionsWe proved that electric acupuncture was able to accelerate the recovery of infarcted brain tissue and nervous function in MCAO rat by the promotion of angiogenesis, which was regulated by EphB4/EphrinB2 mediated Src/PI3K signal pathway. Our study provides a potential therapy and theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of cerebral infarction by the use of electric acupuncture.

Electroacupuncture Reduced Apoptosis of Hippocampal Neurons in Mice with Cerebral Infarction by Regulating the Notch3 Signaling Pathway.

This study is designed to explore the effect of electric acupuncture on the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons through the Notch3 signaling pathway. A middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse model was generated by thread embolization. A Y-maze was used to test cognitive function (learning and memory). The apoptosis factor caspase-3 was identified through an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). TTC staining was used to evaluate the cerebral infarction area. Apoptosis of hippocampal neurons was identified by TUNEL staining and flow cytometry. The expression levels of genes and proteins related to the Notch3 signaling pathway were assessed by qRT-PCR and Western blot. It was determined that 7days of electroacupuncture treatment improved recovery from cerebral infarction. Electroacupuncture therapy reduced the cerebral infarction area in mice and decreased the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons. The apoptosis rate of hippocampal neurons and the area of cerebral infarction were significantly lower in the electroacupuncture group than in the MCAO group (P < 0.01), while the apoptosis rate of hippocampal neurons and the area of cerebral infarction were significantly higher in the inhibitor group than in the electroacupuncture group (P < 0.01). The expression levels of genes related to the Notch3 signaling pathway were significantly increased in the electric acupuncture treatment group compared with the MCAO group (P < 0.01). The results showed that electroacupuncture inhibited the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons through the Notch3 signaling pathway, while the expression levels of genes related to the Notch3 signaling pathway were significantly higher in the inhibitor group than in the electroacupuncture group (P < 0.01). Electroacupuncture inhibited the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons in mice with cerebral infarction by stimulating the Notch3 signaling pathway and triggering corresponding protein expression.

Efficacy of electrical acupuncture on vascular cognitive impairment with no dementia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundVascular cognitive impairment with no dementia (VCIND), manifested mainly as mild impairment of concentration and executive function, is the early phase of vascular dementia (VD). Currently, there is no specific treatment for VCIND. We hypothesize that electrical acupuncture can improve the mental and motor functions of patients with VCIND. Thus, we designed this randomized controlled trial to test this hypothesis by comparing the therapeutic effect of electrical acupuncture versus sham acupuncture in patients with VCIND.Method/DesignIn this single-center 3-year study, 120 eligible patients will be recruited and randomly assigned to receive electrical acupuncture treatment (n = 60) or sham acupuncture (n = 60) for 8 consecutive weeks (24 sessions in total), with the same acupoint prescription (DU20, EX-HN3, DU24, DU17, DU26, EX-HN1, HT7, PC6, GB20, SP6). The primary assessment is the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. The secondary assessments are the Modified Barthel Index and Event-Related Potential. All outcomes will be assessed at baseline, endpoint, and follow-up at 8 and 24 weeks after the end of treatment.DiscussionIf the outcome confirms the effectiveness and safety of electrical acupuncture in treating VCIND, this treatment is expected to be promoted in clinical practice to treat such patients.Trial RegistrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry identifier: ChiCTR-IIR-17011513; Registered on 27 May 2017.

Clinical analysis of electroacupuncture and multiple acupoint stimulation in relieving cancer pain in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

The objective of this study is to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture and multiple acupoint stimulation in relieving cancer pain in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Sixty-five cases of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with cancer pain were selected in our hospital and were divided into electroacupuncture multiple acupoint stimulation group (electroacupuncture group) (n = 32) and fentanyl transdermal patch analgesia group (control group) (n = 33) according to analgesic methods and intentions. In the electroacupuncture group, electric acupuncture treatment was administered at different acupoints, including Baihui, Quchi, Neiguan, Xuehai, Zusanli, and Sanyinjiao acupoint, once a day for 7 days. In the control group, a fentanyl transdermal patch was placed on the upper left arm every 3 days and replaced with a continuous external paste once for 7 days. Pain scores in the two groups before and during the treatment were evaluated with a visual analog scale (VAS), and adverse reactions during the treatment were recorded. The VAS pain score of the electroacupuncture group was significantly decreased on day 3 (P < 0.05), but the pain scores were not significantly different (P > 0.05) between the two groups 4 days after treatment. For treatment-related side effects, there were 3 cases of subcutaneous hemorrhage in the electroacupuncture group; 1 case of skin rashes and 3 cases of nausea and vomiting in the control group. The incidences of adverse reactions in the two groups were 9.4% and 12.1%, respectively, without significant difference (P > 0.05). Cancer pain in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma can be alleviated with electroacupuncture and multiple acupoint stimulation, but the onset pain relief was slow. To improve the analgesic effects of this technique, the combination of various analgesic methods should be necessary in early stage of the treatment.

Case Study: EIMS Acupuncture Treatment for Posterior Tibialis Tendonitis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Posterior tibialis tendon dysfunction (PTTD) is a progressive ailment of a lower limb that, if left untreated, can lead to irreversible changes in the structure and function. The authors of the present study hypothesized the damages to the tibias tendon can be countered and reversed using electrical acupuncture and concurrent treatment of the associated muscle. INTERVENTION: The following study details a successful treatment of the early stage PTTD in a group of competitive athletes using a specific Electrical Intra Muscular Stimulation (EIMS) protocol developed and rooted in years of practice and the knowledge of the pathophysiology of the muscle and tendon tissues. Specifically, a combination the posterior and the original EIMS approach was used to stimulate the tendon and muscle concurrently at a frequency of 2 Hz. Analysis of the VAS scores showed a significant improvement following the treatment sessions. CONCLUSION: The success of this combined muscle/tendon stimulation protocol is given a strong correlation between the mechanism of tendon and muscle injury and recovery. The fast rate of healing and the simplicity of the materials required for the treatment offer a great potential for a wide-spread application. The authors extrapolate that the treatment method, with applicable modifications in needling locations, can be used for an array of common ailments involving tendons and muscles of the lower limb and foot, including the over-pronation, which is now common place due to the overweight problem in the general population.

Acute Analgesic Effect of Electroacupuncture on a Cancer Pain in a Small Cell Lung Cancer Patient : a Case Report

We report a female small cell lung cancer patient in the extensive stage(T3N3Mx). After 6 cycles of chemotherapy combined radiation therapy, she received inpatient Korean medical care including herbal medicine, acupuncture therapy and concurrent western oral medications of opioid analgesics and anti-anxiety agent. The chief complaint was right side thoracic wall pain which had started after chemotherapy and was not effectively controlled by analgesics. For this condition, we treated her with 2Hz of constant electrical stimulation on Jiaji (Ex-B2) points T5-T7 laterally (right) using three needles for 20 minutes once a day for 9 days. With every session of electrical acupuncture treatment, thoracic pain decreased acutely. Korean medicine treatments including Jiaji (Ex-B2) point stimulation might be tried for lung cancer patients with uncontrolled thoracic pain at least for the acute analgesic effect.

Neuroprotection of up-regulated carbon monoxide by electrical acupuncture on perinatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in rats.

This study investigated the neuroprotection and potential mechanism of carbon monoxide (CO) against perinatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in rats by electrical acupuncture (EA). Animal behavior, morphological changes, cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression levels, and CO content in rat cortex cells were determined. Results demonstrated that EA treatment decreased the slope behavior and increased the overhang behavior of perinatal rats. The treatment also decreased the number of positive cells. The activator and inhibitor of CBS aggravated and remitted the hypoxic damage in cortex cells, respectively. EA treatment decreased CBS expression level and increased HO-1 and HIF-1α expression levels in perinatal rat cortex cells. Compared with the control groups, the CO content of cortex cells in the EA treatment group significantly increased (**p < 0.01). We hypothesized that EA treatment increases cortical CO content to protect against hypoxic damage via the hydrogen sulfide/CBS-CO/HO-1-HIF-1α system. This study provided a significant reference for EA therapy and cued a novel protective mechanism for cerebral palsy.

The Analgesic Effect of Electroacupuncture on Acute Thermal Pain Perception-a Central Neural Correlate Study with fMRI

BackgroundElectrical acupuncture (EA) has been utilized in acute pain management. However, the neuronal mechanisms that lead to the analgesic effect are still not well defined. The current study assessed the intensity [optimal EA (OI-EA) vs. minimal EA (MI-EA)] effect of non-noxious EA on supraspinal regions related to noxious heat pain (HP) stimulation utilizing an EA treatment protocol for acute pain and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with correlation in behavioral changes. Subjects underwent five fMRI scanning paradigms: one with heat pain (HP), two with OI-EA and MI-EA, and two with OI-EA and HP, and MI-EA and HP.ResultsWhile HP resulted in activations (excitatory effect) in supraspinal areas known for pain processing and perception, EA paradigms primarily resulted in deactivations (suppressive effect) in most of these corresponding areas. In addition, OI-EA resulted in a more robust supraspinal sedative effect in comparison to MI-EA. As a result, OI-EA is more effective than MI-EA in suppressing the excitatory effect of HP in supraspinal areas related to both pain processing and perception.ConclusionIntensities of EA plays an important role in modulating central pain perception.

The clinical observation of early intervention of Fleabane combined with electric acupuncture on patients with Dysarthria after acute cerebral infarction

Objective To investigate the effects of early intervention of Fleabane combined with electric acupuncture on patients with Dysarthria after acute cerebral infarction.Methods 60 cases of ACI patients were randomly divided into control group and treatment group. The conventional therapy were used in each group, and Ligustrazine was added in control group, while the Fleahane combining with early electric acupuncture treatment was added in treatment group on the basis of conventional therapy. Before and after 3 weeks of treatment, all patients were evaluated by Barthel index and Frenchay dysarthria assessment.Results After treatment the Barthel index increased more remarkably in each group than before treatment(P<0.05).Compared with the control group, the Barthel index increased more significantly after treatment(P<0.05). The Frenchay dysarthria assessment improved obviously in each group(P<0.0005, P<0.05), and had marked difference between treatment group and con-trol group after treatment(P<0.05).Conclusion The early intervention of Fleabane combined with electric acu-puncture can improve dysarthria and activity of daily living in patients after acute cerebral infarction. Key words: Fleabane; electric acupuncture; early intervention; ACI; Dysarthria

The effect of electric acupuncture treatment on urinary MHPG-sulphate excretion in unmedicated schizophrenics.

The daily urinary excretion of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol sulphate (MHPG-SO4) was determined before and during the course of electric acupuncture treatment (EAT) in eight unmedicated schizophrenic patients. The mean excretion of MHPG-SO4 before treatment was 1439 +/- 74 micrograms/24 hr. EAT was administered once daily and continued for two weeks. The urinary MHPG-SO4 excretion steadily increased during the course of EAT. The mean values obtained during the first and second weeks of treatment were 1712 +/- 108 micrograms/24 hr and 1920 +/- 81 micrograms/24 hr respectively, each being significantly higher than the mean value obtained before EAT.

Change in levels of monoamine neurotransmitters and their main metabolites of rat brain after electric acupuncture treatment.

The changes in levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), norepinephrine (NE), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol sulphate (MHPG-SO4) and dopamine (DA) of rat brain were studied after electric acupuncture stimulation (EAS). We found that the mean values of cerebral 5-HT and 5-HIAA after EAS were increased 16% (p less than 0.001) and 24% (p less than 0.01) respectively, significantly higher than those of controls, whereas the mean value of cerebral NE was decreased 14% (p less than 0.01), significantly lower than that of the controls. The cerebral MHPG-SO4 and DA in both groups showed no significant difference. In a second series of experiments with another group of rats, EAS was administered once a day for ten days. There was no statistical significance between the treated group and the control group in the differences in brain contents of all three monoamine neurotransmitters and 5-HIAA.

各種の皮膚硬化症に対する合成吸収性縫合糸包埋法によるツボ刺激の試み

In Chuzan Medical School of Canton city in China, I saw an interesting treatment in that some pieces of catgut were inserted in the subcutaneous tissue of the selected meridian points for hypertention and migraine, etc. It exerted a beneficial effect for about two weeks.Then I tried similar treatment for various cutaneous scleroderma using synthetic absorbable (polyglycolic acid) suture instead of catgut. This treatment was carried out in 8 cases (PSS; 6, linear sclerosis; 1, scleredema adultorum; 1) and had an exellent effect on 1 case of PSS, a moderate effect on 3 cases of PSS and 1 case of scleredema adultorum and no effect on 2 cases of PSS, 1 case of linear scleroderma. This stimulation was effective for about two or three weeks.However, this treatment appeared less effective on PSS than the low-frequency electrical acupuncture treatment.