Weeks Of Acupuncture Treatment Research Articles

Structural and functional improvement of amygdala sub-regions in postpartum depression after acupuncture.

This study aimed to analyze the changes in structure and function in amygdala sub-regions in patients with postpartum depression (PPD) before and after acupuncture. A total of 52 patients with PPD (All-PPD group) were included in this trial, 22 of which completed 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment (Acu-PPD group). An age-matched control group of 24 healthy postpartum women (HPW) from the hospital and community were also included. Results from the 17-Hamilton Depression Scale (17-HAMD) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were evaluated, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans were performed at baseline and after the acupuncture treatment. Sub-regions of the amygdala were used as seed regions to measure gray matter volume (GMV) and analyzed for resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) values separately. Finally, correlation analyses were performed on all patients with PPD to evaluate association values between the clinical scale scores, GMV, and RSFC values, while controlling for age and education. Pearson's correlation analyses were conducted to investigate the relevance between GMV and RSFC values of brain regions that differed before and after acupuncture treatment and clinical scale scores in Acu-PPD patients. The HAMD scores for Acu-PPD were reduced after acupuncture treatment (P < 0.05), suggesting the positive effects of acupuncture on depression symptoms. Structurally, the All-PPD group showed significantly decreased GMV in the left lateral part of the amygdala (lAMG.L) and the right lateral part of the amygdala (lAMG.R) compared to the HPW group (P < 0.05). In addition, the GMV of lAMG.R was marginally increased in the Acu-PPD group after acupuncture (P < 0.05). Functionally, the Acu-PPD group showed a significantly enhanced RSFC between the left medial part of the amygdala (mAMG.L) and the left vermis_6, an increased RSFC between the right medial part of the amygdala (mAMG.R) and left vermis_6, and an increased RSFC between the lAMG.R and left cerebelum_crus1 (P < 0.05). Moreover, correlation studies revealed that the GMV in the lAMG.R was significantly related to the EPDS scores in the All-PPD group (P < 0.05). Our findings demonstrated that the structure of amygdala sub-regions is impaired in patients with PPD. Acupuncture may improve depressive symptoms in patients with PPD, and the mechanism may be attributed to changes in the amygdala sub-region structure and the functional connections of brain areas linked to the processing of negative emotions. The fMRI-based technique can provide comprehensive neuroimaging evidence to visualize the central mechanism of action of acupuncture in PPD.

Acupuncture Ameliorated Behavioral Abnormalities in the Autism Rat Model via Pathways for Hippocampal Serotonin

Acupuncture can improve symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the potential mechanisms remain undefined. So, we aimed to explore the behavioral improvement of autism rat model after acupuncture and to describe the potential molecular mechanism underlying these changes. Wistar rats were intraperitoneally injected with VPA 12.5 days after conception, and their offspring were considered as good models of autism. Experimental rats were divided into three groups (wild-type (WT), n = 10; VPA, n = 10; and VPA_acupuncture, n = 10). VPA_acupuncture group rat received 4 weeks of acupuncture treatment (Shéntíng (GV24), and Bilateral Běnshén (GB13)) on the 23rd day after birth. All rats were subjected to behavioral tests, including social interaction, open field, and Morris water maze tests. Afterwards, hippocampal tissues (left side) were removed and subjected to RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis; ELISA was also used to detect the associated serotonin levels in the hippocampus. Behavioral tests showed that acupuncture treatment improved spontaneous activity, aberrant social interaction, and alleviated impaired learning and memory in the VPA-induced rat model. Differentially expressed genes (DGEs) analysis showed 142 significantly differentially expressed genes between WT and VPA groups, and 282 between VPA and VPA_acupuncture rats. Htr2c and Htr1a, 5-HT receptor genes, were up-regulated in the VPA group compared with WT group. Additionally, Tph1, a rate-limiting enzyme gene of 5-HT synthesis, was up-regulated after acupuncture. These genes were confirmed to have the same trend of expression obtained by RT-qPCR and RNA seq. Furthermore, the concentration of serotonin in the hippocampus in the VPA group was significantly lower than the WT and VPA_acupuncture groups. Acupuncture improved abnormal behavioral symptoms in the VPA-induced rat model. Further experiments showed that the improvement of the serotonin system may be one of the main regulatory mechanisms of acupuncture for treating ASD.

Comparative effectiveness of different acupuncture courses in functional constipation: A Bayesian network meta-analysis of clinical trials

AimThe purpose of this study was to examine the comparative effectiveness of different acupuncture courses for functional constipation (FC). BackgroundThere is a need to optimize the treatment course of acupuncture for FC to improve efficacy and save health resources. MethodsWe performed a systematic electronic search of eight databases from inception to April 2021. Randomized controlled trials comparing acupuncture treatment with sham acupuncture were included. The main outcome indicators were complete spontaneous bowel movement (CSBM), spontaneous bowel movement, Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS), responder rate and safety evaluation (SE). ResultsIn this network meta-analysis, 19 studies with 1753 participants and 8 different acupuncture treatments were included. Using the consistency model via Monte Carlo simulation iterations, we found that the effect of acupuncture treatment at 3/4 weeks may be better in terms of CSBM and BSFS. The results of rank probability analysis showed that 6 weeks of treatment may be better for the responder rate, and 2 weeks of treatment may be better for SE. And, subgroup analysis found that, for patients with chronic severe functional constipation (CSFC), 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment may be the best for CSBM. ConclusionsBy indirect comparison, 3/4 weeks of acupuncture treatment may be the optimal course of treatment for FC in terms of improving bowel frequency and stool shape. And for CSFC, 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment may be the best. However, there is still a lack of direct comparison and publication bias that affects the accuracy of research results.

Deqi Sensation to Predict Acupuncture Effect on Functional Dyspepsia: A Machine Learning Study.

Objectives The aim of the study was to predict the effect of acupuncture for treating functional dyspepsia (FD) using the support vector machine (SVM) techniques based on initial deqi sensations of patients. Methods This retrospective study involved 90 FD patients who had received four weeks of acupuncture treatment. The support vector classification model was used to distinguish higher responders (patients with Symptom Index of Dyspepsia improvement score ≥ 2) from lower responders (patients with Symptom Index of Dyspepsia improvement score < 2). A support vector regression model was used to predict the change in the Symptom Index of Dyspepsia at the end of acupuncture treatment. Deqi sensations of patients in the first acupuncture treatment of a 20-session acupuncture intervention were defined as features and used to train models. Models were validated by 10-fold cross-validation and evaluated by accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, the area under the receive-operating curve, the coefficient of determination (R2), and the mean squared error. Results The two models could predict the efficacy of acupuncture successfully. These models had an accuracy of 0.84 in predicting acupuncture response, and an R2 of 0.16 in the prediction of symptom improvements, respectively. The presence or absence of deqi sensation, the duration of deqi sensation, distention, and pain were finally selected as significant predicting features. Conclusion Based on the SVM algorithms and deqi sensation, the current study successfully predicted the acupuncture response as well as clinical symptom improvement in FD patients at the end of treatment. Our prediction models are expected to promote the clinical efficacy of acupuncture treatment for FD, reduce medical expenditures, and optimize the allocation of medical resources.

Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Chronic Headache due to Perceived Stress

The global prevalence of active headache disorders is estimated to be around 52%. The International Headache Society (IHS) defines chronic daily headache as, having 15 or more headache episodes per month consecutively for at least 3 months. Acupuncture is one of the most common alternative medicines used to treat chronic pain in patients. In Sri Lanka, there are no documented reports to evaluate the prevalence of headaches caused by perceived stress. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the efficacy of acupuncture for chronic headaches caused by perceived stress in patients who visited the acupuncture clinic at KIU. Forty patients were selected using a convenient sampling method, and their stress levels were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) was used to assess the intensity of the headache prior to treatment. Following six weeks of acupuncture treatment, post-intervention PSS and NPRS were assessed. A strong positive correlation (r2=0.929, p=0.001) was determined between the levels of stress and the severity of headache. Furthermore, a statistically significant (p=0.001) decrease in means scores of stress and pain was found following acupuncture treatments. Therefore, it was concluded that acupuncture is an effective treatment method for chronic headache due to perceived stress.

Electroacupuncture treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: A case report

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is characterized by symptoms such as frequent urination and difficulty in urination. Currently, treatment is mainly carried out using medications and surgery, but all of these methods can lead to certain adverse effects. In this case, a ninety-year-old male elderly patient came to our acupuncture clinic for treatment of urinary tract occlusion due to BPH. According to the patient's condition, we adopted the eletroacupuncture treatment protocol of Prof. Zhanglian Wang, a famous experienced Chinese medicine doctor. After six weeks of acupuncture treatment, the patient's urinary status improved significantly. This case suggests that acupuncture may be an effective complementary alternative therapy for BPH.

Neuropathic Pain and Spasticity Response to Traditional Acupuncture after Spinal Cord Injury

Introduction: One of the most relevant disabilities is caused by spinal cord injury (SCI). Typical causes of spinal cord damage are trauma, disease, or congenital disorders. Tetraplegia is a paralysis results in the partial or total loss of use of all limbs and torso; paraplegia is similar but does not affect the arms. Pain and spasticity are common sequelae of SCI [1]. Both pain and spasticity can have a late onset and develop slowly over time after SCI, and once developed, they often become chronic. In this paper we have provided to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture for treating SCI sequelae and summarize the potential mechanisms of acupuncture therapy. Method: We considered 30 patients with diagnosis of tetra or paraplegia after SCI complicated by neuropathic pain and spasticity. Neurologist trained in medical acupuncture conducted the therapeutic treatments. A specific set of acupuncture points was used in all sessions. Participants were treated for 8 sessions of acupuncture over 4 week’s period. Pain and spasticity were evaluated with Numeric Raiting Scale (VAS) (2) and the Modified Ashworth Scale [3] at the beginning of the first, the fourth an eighth treatment session. Results: 28 patients (93%) showed improvement in pain intensity and spasticity after two weeks of acupuncture treatment. The therapeutic effect continued until the eighth week of treatment. However, 15 patients (53,5%) reported an increase in spasticity and pain 2 months after acupuncture sessions. Conclusions: Acupuncture sessions using defined acupoint set reduced pain intentensity and spasticity in patients with SCI.

Effect of acupuncture combined with rehabilitation on cognitive and motor functions in poststroke patients.

The aim of the study was to explore the effect of acupuncture combined with rehabilitation on cognitive and motor functions in poststroke patients. All patients were divided into Group A and Group B based on different interventions (Group A: acupuncture + conventional rehabilitation, Group B: conventional rehabilitation alone). Acupuncture was conducted once a day, five times a week for 8 weeks, and rehabilitation (including physical therapy and occupational therapy) was conducted for 2 hr per session, once a day, five times a week for 8 weeks. Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) and Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) were used to assess the motor and cognitive functions at baseline and the end of 8 weeks. After the intervention, FMA and MMSE scores were improved significantly in the two groups (p <.05), compared with the scores prior to intervention. After 8 weeks of intervention, a statistically significant difference in the FMA and MMSE scores was observed between the Group A and the Group B. The results suggested that the combined intervention is more effective than the conventional rehabilitation alone in improving cognitive and motor functions in poststroke patients.

Efficacy of Acupuncture for Insomnia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Patients with insomnia frequently use acupuncture as an alternative treatment to pharmacotherapy globally. The aim of this paper is to assess the effect of acupuncture on insomnia. Seven medical databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CNKI, RISS, NDSL, and OASIS, were used to identify studies published through July 09, 2020. Twenty-four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in this qualitative review comparing acupuncture to either pharmacotherapy or sham-acupuncture therapy. Methodological quality was assessed, using the Cochrane risk of bias (ROB). In the subsequent quantitative meta-analysis of studies comparing acupuncture versus pharmacotherapy, fifteen RCTs demonstrated that acupuncture had a significant effect on patients with insomnia as assessed by the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) (RR: -0.74; 95% CI: -1.07 to -0.40; [Formula: see text] ¡0.0001; [Formula: see text] = 89%; [Formula: see text] = 1475). A subgroup analysis showed that there was no significant effect after weeks 1 and 2, but six studies found that acupuncture had a significant effect insomnia at week 3 (RR: -0.97; 95% CI: -1.65 to -0.28; [Formula: see text] = 0.006; [Formula: see text] = 91%; [Formula: see text] = 463) and nine studies demonstrated a significant effect at week 4 (RR: -0.70; 95% CI: -1.15 to -0.25; [Formula: see text] = 0.002; [Formula: see text] = 85%; [Formula: see text] = 594). These results suggest that insomnia patients may experience significant improvement in symptoms after more than three weeks of acupuncture treatment compared to pharmacological treatments.

Acupuncture for dry eye syndrome after refractive surgery: A randomized controlled pilot trial

BackgroundDry eye syndrome is the most common complication of refractive surgery. Acupuncture is widely used for the treatment of ophthalmologic diseases, but to date, few have explored the effects of acupuncture for the treatment of this condition following refractive surgery. The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility of a study design for evaluating the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment along with usual care compared with usual care only for dry eye syndrome after refractive surgery. MethodsA total of 18 patients with dry eye syndrome occurring after refractive surgery participated in this study. For 4 weeks, the acupuncture plus usual care and usual care only groups received treatment three times a week. A series of assessments, namely the ocular surface disease index (OSDI), visual analog scale for ocular discomfort, quality of life, tear film break-up time, Schirmer 1 test, and fluorescein-stained corneal-surface photography, along with other general assessments were carried out. ResultsAlthough preliminary, changes in OSDI from the baseline values were significantly different between the two groups at week 5 (p=0.0003). There was a significant difference in the trends of OSDI changes between the acupuncture plus usual care and the usual care only groups (p=0.0039). No serious adverse events were reported during the study. ConclusionFour weeks of acupuncture treatment in addition to usual care is a feasible treatment for dry eye syndrome after refractive surgery. A full-scale randomized controlled trial is needed to confirm the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture.

Effects of acupuncture on anthropometric and serum metabolic parameters in premenopausal overweight and obese women: a randomized, patient- and assessor-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of acupuncture on obesity-related parameters with regard to metabolomics. This two-arm parallel, patient- and assessor-blind, sham-controlled randomized clinical trial included 120 obese participants. Participants were randomized into two groups. The treatment group received a combined intervention of manual acupuncture (MA) plus electroacupuncture (EA), while the control group received a combination of sham acupuncture interventions consisting of sham MA plus sham EA for 6 weeks. The serum lipid levels were measured as the primary outcome measure and anthropometric parameters and serum metabolic profiles including amino acids and carnitines were measured as secondary outcome measures. The serum lipid levels and anthropometric measurements did not significantly differ between groups, while body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference were improved within each group and the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased over time in the treatment group. There were no significant differences in amino acid levels between groups, while certain carnitine (C2, C4, C6, and l-carnitine) levels were significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the treatment group compared to the control group. In summary, 6 weeks of acupuncture treatment did not affect anthropometric and serum metabolic parameters, with the exception of certain carnitines, when compared to sham acupuncture. The observation of increased carnitine levels in the acupuncture group could result in potential long-term benefits to obese individuals. Additional studies are needed to investigate the long-term effects of acupuncture on lipid metabolism and the underlying mechanism of action. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02066090).

Baseline Brain Gray Matter Volume as a Predictor of Acupuncture Outcome in Treating Migraine.

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the use of imaging biomarkers to predict the outcome of acupuncture in patients with migraine without aura (MwoA).Methods: Forty-one patients with MwoA received 4 weeks of acupuncture treatment and two brain imaging sessions at the Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University. Patients kept a headache diary for 4 weeks before treatment and during acupuncture treatment. Responders were defined as those with at least a 50% reduction in the number of migraine days. The machine learning method was used to distinguish responders from non-responders based on pre-treatment brain gray matter (GM) volume. Longitudinal changes in GM predictive regions were also analyzed.Results: After 4 weeks of acupuncture, 19 patients were classified as responders. Based on 10-fold cross-validation for the selection of GM features, the linear support vector machine produced a classification model with 73% sensitivity, 85% specificity, and 83% accuracy. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.7871. This classification model included 10 GM areas that were mainly distributed in the frontal, temporal, parietal, precuneus, and cuneus gyri. The reduction in the number of migraine days was correlated with baseline GM volume in the cuneus, parietal, and frontal gyri in all patients. Moreover, the left cuneus showed a longitudinal increase in GM volume in responders.Conclusion: The results suggest that pre-treatment brain structure could be a novel predictor of the outcome of acupuncture in the treatment of MwoA. Imaging features could be a useful tool for the prediction of acupuncture efficacy, which would enable the development of a personalized medicine strategy.

Acupuncture on ST36, CV4 and KI1 Suppresses the Progression of Methionine- and Choline-Deficient Diet-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Mice.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide, and its treatment remain a constant challenge. A number of clinical trials have shown that acupuncture treatment has beneficial effects for patients with NAFLD, but the molecular mechanisms underlying its action are still largely unknown. In this study, we established a mouse model of NAFLD by administering a methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) diet and selected three acupoints (ST36, CV4, and KI1) or nonacupoints (sham) for needling. We then investigated the effects of acupuncture treatment on the progression of NAFLD and the underlying mechanisms. After two weeks of acupuncture treatment, the liver in the needling-nonapcupoint group (NG) mice appeared pale and yellowish in color, while that in the needling-acupoint group (AG) showed a bright red color. Histologically, fewer lipid droplets and inflammatory foci were observed in the AG liver than in the NG liver. Furthermore, the expression of proinflammatory signaling factors was significantly downregulated in the AG liver. A lipid analysis showed that the levels of triglyceride (TG) and free fatty acid (FFA) were lower in the AG liver than in the NG liver, with an altered expression of lipid metabolism-related factors as well. Moreover, the numbers of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG)-positive hepatocytes and levels of hepatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were significantly lower in AG mice than in NG mice. In line with these results, a higher expressions of antioxidant factors was found in the AG liver than in the NG liver. Our results indicate that acupuncture repressed the progression of NAFLD by inhibiting inflammatory reactions, reducing oxidative stress, and promoting lipid metabolism of hepatocytes, suggesting that this approach might be an important complementary treatment for NAFLD.

Therapeutic Efficacy and the Impact of the "Dose" Effect of Acupuncture to Treat Sciatica: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

PurposeTo investigate the required sample size for and feasibility of a full-scale randomized controlled trial examining the impact of the “dose” effect of acupuncture in treating sciatica.Patients and methodsFifty-seven patients with sciatica, aged 35–70 years, were recruited and screened. Thirty-one participants were randomly assigned to receive “low-dose” manual acupuncture (MAL) (n= 15) or “high-dose” manual acupuncture (MAH) (n=16). The acupuncture treatment was administered twice weekly for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the visual analog scale (VAS) score at baseline and after 4 weeks of acupuncture treatment. Secondary outcomes included the Roland Disability Questionnaire for Sciatica (RDQS), the Sciatica Bothersomeness Index (SBI), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life in the Brief Edition (WHOQOL-BREF) scores at baseline and after 4 weeks of acupuncture treatment.ResultsThirty patients completed the study. For all patients, acupuncture achieved significant improvement in the VAS (5.48±2.0, p<0.001), RDQS (3.18±2.83, p=0.004), and SBI (2.85±3.23, p=0.008) scores, but not in the WHOQOL-BREF scores. In the between-group analysis, the assessed scales showed no significant differences between the MAL and MAH groups. However, based on the level of chronicity, the MAH group demonstrated greater improvement in the outcomes and a significant benefit in the physical subscale of the WHOQOL-BREF (p<0.05).ConclusionResults of this pilot study indicate that acupuncture is safe and may effectively relieve symptoms and disability in patients with non-acute sciatica. MAL was as effective as MAH in treating sciatica. A subsequent trial with a larger sample size (estimated at n=96) is required to confirm whether patients with a high level of chronicity would benefit from MAH treatment.Trial registrationNCT03489681.

Acupuncture attenuates cognitive impairment, oxidative stress and NF-κB activation in cerebral multi-infarct rats.

Patients with multiple infarct dementia (MID) have subtle deficits that commonly go unnoticed, and are at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Oxidative stress induced by ischaemic injury results in intracellular calcium accumulation and neuronal apoptosis, leading to cognitive impairment by triggering various cellular signal transduction pathways. Several studies have suggested that NF-κB in the presence of p53 has a pro-apoptotic function in various models, but the mechanism is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether acupuncture could protect cognitive function against cerebral multi-infarction (CMi) induced oxidative stress by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB and its target gene p53. An animal model of CMi was established by injecting homologous blood emboli into the right internal carotid artery of male Wistar rats. After 2 weeks of acupuncture treatment, cognitive function was detected by novel object recognition. Electron spin resonance and Fluo-3 fuorescence imaging were used to test the generation of ROS and intracellular calcium accumulation, respectively. Expression of NF-κB and p53 was examined by Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence. CMi induced spatial learning and memory impairment, overproduction of intracellular hydroxyl radicals, and elevations of Ca2+, which were ameliorated by verum acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture inhibited activation of NF-κB and its downstream target gene p53. These findings suggest that acupuncture could protect cognitive function against oxidative stress induced by CMi, which is partially associated with suppression of NF-κB-p53 activation.

A study of the effects of 8-week acupuncture treatment on patients with Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative brain disorder, resulting in decreased neural responses in the supplementary motor area, putamen, and thalamus. Previous research showed that acupuncture was able to improve the motor dysfunction. The primary aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of longer acupuncture treatment for preventing brain degeneration in patients with PD. Ten outpatients with PD were recruited from Kyung Hee Medical Hospital. Behavioral and neural responses were examined before and after 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment. A semi-individualized treatment approach was used; patients were treated for 15 minutes with 120-Hz electro-acupuncture at the right GB34 and Taechung (LR3), followed by manual acupuncture based on the individual symptoms of the patient. Immediately after 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment, the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) sub-scores and the depression scores for the patients had statistically decreased compared to the scores before acupuncture treatment; moreover, 8 weeks later, these scores remained stable. Compared to the neural responses before the acupuncture stimulation, those after the acupuncture treatment were significantly higher in the thalamus, cingulate gyrus, anterior cingulate, lingual gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, lateral globus pallidus, mammillary body, middle temporal gyrus, cuneus, and fusiform gyrus. Finally, a positive correlation was found between the UPDRS and the mean magnetic resonance signal change for the thalamus. This study found beneficial clinical effects of 8-week acupuncture treatment in the brains of patients with PD.

Useful Influence of Ear &amp; Body Acupuncture Treatment on the Significant Reduction of Body Weight of Obesity and its Relationship with Oxidant-Antioxidant System

333 Acupuncture has been used in treating obesity even before 1975. Effect mechanism and beneficial effects of acupuncture treatment are unclear. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are harmful by-products of human body metabolism. The oxidative effects of ROS are neutralized by the antioxidant capacity. Thiols are substantial antioxidant agents and found in cysteine amino acid. Cysteine residues form disulfide bridges, predictor of oxidant stress. Thiol-disulfide homeostasis is an important parameter associated with several disorders such as cardiac, endocrine, neurologic diseases. To date, the effect of acupuncture on oxidative stress and thiol–disulfide homeostasis in obese individuals has not yet been examined. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of acupuncture for weight control on dynamic thiol–disulfide homeostasis. A total of 101 subjects who were being treated for weight control at our center (89 women and 12 men, body mass index (BMI) ≥22.48) were randomly enrolled in this study, and treated with ear &amp; body acupuncture. Body acupuncture is given manually. Ear acupuncture is given with a needle embedded within adhesive tape through performing acupressure by the patients three times per day. We measured the levels of thiol, any organic compound containing –SH group. Reduced thiol was represented with native thiol (-SH). Oxidized thiol (-S-S) was represented by disulfide. Total thiol was composed of sum of the native thiol and disulfide levels. We analyzed the differences between baseline BMI, blood native thiol, total thiol, and disulfide levels, and those after 10 weeks of acupuncture treatment. After acupuncture treatment, significant body weight and BMI reductions were observed. Mean body weight decreased significantly from 78.66±12.66 kg before treatment to 74.46±11.29 kg after treatment (p&lt;0.001) and mean BMI decreased from 29.54±3.99 kg/m2 before treatment to 27.98±3.68 kg/m2 after treatment (p&lt;0.001). Mean native thiol and total thiol levels increased significantly after acupuncture compared to before acupuncture. Disulfide levels insignificantly decreased. This is the first study to demonstrate that the beneficial effects of acupuncture in treating obesity are associated with improvements in thiol–disulfide homeostasis, an imbalance in which is associated with oxidative stress. Additional studies are warranted to investigate the mechanism or signaling pathways involved in the effect of acupuncture on obesity.

Comparison of 3 assessment modes of acupuncture effect on patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a common disorder. Some studies have indicated that acupuncture may ameliorate the symptoms of CP/CPPS. However, results are varied and range widely, perhaps due to different modes of assessment including timepoints, places of assessment, and especially subjective scales. We propose to determine the efficacy of acupuncture relative to sham acupuncture for patients with CP/CPPS, and compare different modes of assessment regarding the therapeutic effects of acupuncture. Sixty patients with CP/CPPS will be randomly assigned to receive either acupuncture or sham-acupuncture (30 patients, each). Treatment will be conducted 3 times/week, for 4 weeks. The coprimary outcomes will each be the change from baseline of the total NIH (National Institutes of Health) CPSI (Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index) score associated with 3 modes of assessment: Mode 1, the scale recorded at the hospital within 10 minutes after the last session of 4 weeks of acupuncture treatment, in the company of the outcome assessors; Mode 2, the scale recorded the same day, but not at the hospital; and Mode 3, the scale recorded at the hospital 1 to 3 days after the last acupuncture session. The 3 key secondary outcomes include will be the 3 modes assessment of the changes from baseline of the NIH-CPSI total scores in the acupuncture group at week 4 after treatment. Analysis was by intention-to-treat, and multiplicity was controlled for with a step-down closed-testing procedure. To our knowledge, previous studies did not include the details of assessment scales when determining the efficacy of acupuncture in CP/CPPS. Furthermore, it is not clear which mode was used to assess the effect. The answers provided by the proposed study may improve the reproducibility of acupuncture research and the reliability of results.

Effect of acupuncture at acupoint of Shenshu (BL 23) on the bones of ovariectomized rats

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of acupuncture at acupoint of Shenshu (BL 23) in ovariectomized rats and sham-operated rats. METHODSFemale Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the following four groups (n = 12 each): sham operation only (Sham), sham operation with acupuncture (Sham + ACP), ovariectomy only (OVX), and ovariectomy with acupuncture (OVX + ACP). Operations were performed at the 9th week of age. Acupuncture of Shenshu (BL 23) was started at the 11th week of age and conducted 3 times per week until the 26th week of age. RESULTSAmong ovariectomized rats, the acupuncture-treated rats had significantly lower body weights and cross-linked N-telopeptide of type 1 collagen levels in the urine after 3 weeks of acupuncture treatment, higher bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebra after 7 weeks, and smaller trabecular separation of the sixth lumbar vertebra, measured by micro-computed tomography, after 17 weeks than control rats. These effects were not observed in sham-operated rats. Blood concentrations of estradiol were significantly higher in the OVX + ACP group than in the untreated group. Acupuncture treatment increased plasma testosterone levels in sham-operated rats, while this increase was not observed in OVX rats. CONCLUSIONAcupuncture of Shenshu (BL 23) prevents bone loss and structural changes by suppressing bone resorption.

Effect of acupuncture on aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia in patients with breast cancer: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

PurposeAromatase inhibitor (AI)-induced arthralgia (AIA) is a common side effect that may lead to premature discontinuation of effective hormonal therapy in patients with breast cancer. Acupuncture may relieve joint pain in patients with AIA. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture in pain relief in AIA. MethodsThe PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases and the ClinicalTrials.gov registry were searched for studies published before February 2017. Individual effect sizes were standardized, and a meta-analysis was conducted to calculate the pooled effect size by using a random effect model. Pain was assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) at 3–4, 6–8, and 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included disability level, upper extremity function, physical performance, and quality of life. ResultsFive trials involving 181 patients were reviewed. Significant pain reduction was observed after 6–8 weeks of acupuncture treatment. Patients receiving acupuncture showed a significant decrease in the BPI worst pain score (weighted mean difference [WMD]: −3.81, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −5.15 to −2.47) and the WOMAC pain score (WMD: −130.77, 95% CI: −230.31 to −31.22) after 6–8 weeks of treatment. One of the 4 trials reported 18 minor adverse events in 8 patients during 398 intervention episodes. ConclusionAcupuncture is a safe and viable nonpharmacologic treatment that may relieve joint pain in patients with AIA. Additional studies involving a higher number of RCTs are warranted.