Electroacupuncture regulates microglial polarization via inhibiting NF-κB/COX2 pathway following traumatic brain injury.

Background: Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are important pathological mechanisms following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The NF-κB/COX2 pathway regulates neuroinflammation and oxidative damage, while microglia also play an important role in neuroinflammation. Since NF-κB is involved in microglial polarization, targeting this pathway and microglial polarization is a critical component of TBI treatment.

A practical dynamic nomogram model for predicting bone metastasis in patients with thyroid cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to established a dynamic nomogram for assessing the risk of bone metastasis in patients with thyroid cancer (TC) and assist physicians to make accurate clinical decisions.

Methods: The clinical data of patients with TC admitted to the First Affiliated hospital of Nanchang University from January 2006 to November 2016 were included in this study. Demographic and clinicopathological parameters of all patients at primary diagnosis were analyzed.

Influences of Deqi on Immediate Analgesia Effect of Needling SP6 (Sanyinjiao) in Patients with Primary Dysmenorrhea in Cold and Dampness Stagnation Pattern: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Deqi, according to traditional Chinese medicine, is a specific needle sensation during the retention of needles at certain acupoints and is considered to be necessary to produce therapeutic effects from acupuncture. Although some modern researches have showed that Deqi is essential for producing acupuncture analgesia and anesthesia, the data are not enough. It is a paper of a multicenter, randomized controlled study protocol, to evaluate the influences of Deqi on acupuncture SP6 in Cold and Dampness Stagnation pattern primary dysmenorrhea patients, in terms of reducing pain and anxiety, and to find out the relationship between Deqi and the temperature changes at SP6 (Sanyinjiao) and CV4 (Guanyuan).

[Remarks on the relationship between deqi and effect of acupuncture].

Acupuncturists have always paid high attention to deqi (needling sensation) in clinical. However, relationship between deqi and curative effect has not been elucidated yet. In order to have a further understanding on effect of deqi on clinical effect, through study on literature associated with deqi since the establishment of People's Republic of China in 1949, it is held that various factors can influence therapeutic effect of acupuncture treatment, including whether needling sensation appears or not, the speed of deqi, the intensity of deqi, different types of sensations as well as propagated sensation along meridians (PSM).

An exploratory survey of deqi sensation from the views and experiences of chinese patients and acupuncturists.

Deqi sensation is believed to be important in clinical efficacy according to TCM theory. The measuring method of Deqi sensation has significant implications for the result of research trials. This study makes an investigation on acupuncture-experienced patients and expert acupuncturists in China and aims to find out the patient's needling sensations and acupuncturist's sensations which can be acceptable as descriptors of Deqi sensation, so as to provide foundation for more systematic and sensitive quantitative evaluation method of Deqi sensation.

The historical development of deqi concept from classics of traditional chinese medicine to modern research: exploitation of the connotation of deqi in chinese medicine.

Although it is difficult in fully clarifying its mechanisms and effects, Deqi still can be considered as an instant "sign" of acupuncture response of the patient and acupuncturist, which has a significant value in clinic and research. This paper aims to take a history trace to the development of Deqi theory, understand the connotation of Deqi based on Chinese medicine theory, and establish an evaluation methodology accordingly. We believe that Deqi is not only the needling sensation, but also the perception of changes of qi (') flowing of the patient elicited by needling on acupoints.

[Progress of researches on specificity of acupoints in China in recent 10 years].

After searching for literature about the specificity of acupoints from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database (in Chinese) and MEDLINE (in English), published by Chinese scholars from June 2003 to June 2012, the authors made a systemic analysis on the retrieved papers. It was found that most Chinese scholars took a positive viewpoint about the specificity of acupoints in morphological structure, biophysical characters, pathological reactions, acupuncture stimulation-induced responses in different brain regions and therapeutic effects. However, the research methods and comprehensive analysis of abundant research results need being improved, and the conclusion should be validated extensively.

[Progress on research of specificity of acupoint effects during "the 11th five-year"].

With retrieval in CNKI and MEDLINE data base, the articles in Chinese and English that were written by Chinese authors, which were about the specificity of acupoint effects during "the Eleventh Five-Year (2006-2010)", are included. Researchers have studied about the specificity of acupoint effects by cerebral function imaging technique and it turns out that from the perspective of central mechanism, there are differences among aupoint stimulatory effect. The curative effect of acupoints is significantly better than that of nonacupoints, different acupoints have different curative effects, the effect of disease-related acupoints is better than that of unrelated acupoints, those above have intitally proved the existence of specificity of acupoint effects.

[Discussion on the influence of factors related organic on Deqi in acupuncture treatment].

Objective: To discuss the influence of factors related organic on deqi in acupuncture treatment and provide scientific evidence for further research on the influencing factors of deqi sensation.

Methods: China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, VIP-Chinese scientific and technological journal database, Chinese biological medical (CBM) database and PubMed database were retrieved. There were 30 articles about the organic influencing factors of deqi and they were analyzed.

[Review of studies on Deqi of acupuncture mainly in foreign countries].

Unlabelled: Deqi (needle sensation), is closely related to clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture in the treatment of different clinical conditions. In the present paper, the authors summarized various components or concepts of Deqi mainly in the foreign studies collected from Pubmed database. At present, foreign researches about Deqi mainly include 1) the subjects' subjective qualitative and quantitative descriptions about Deqi, 2) correlation between acupuncture stimulation induced Deqi and clinical therapeutic effects, and 3) responses of different brain regions or the connectivity of brain network shown by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during Deqi by needling different acupoints.

[Influence of electroacupuncture stimulation of delivery-facilitating acupoints with different stimulating parameters on serum endocrine hormones of late-stage pregnant rats].

Objective: To observe the influence of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of "Hegu" (LI 4) and "Sanyinjiao"(SP 6; a classical delivery-facilitating acupoint recipe) at different parameters on endocrine hormone levels of late-stage pregnant rats, so as to find the better stimulation parameters for delivery facilitation.

Methods: Ninety-six female Wistar rats were randomly divided into eight groups: normal control (normal), pregnancy (model), EA-15 Hz, EA-30 Hz, EA-50 Hz, EA-2 Hz/ 15 Hz, EA-2 Hz/30 Hz and EA-2 Hz/50 Hz, with 12 rats in each group except EA-30 Hz group (n = 10). EA stimulation (0.

[Progression of the study on the acupoints from 2006 to 2010 overseas].

With retrieval of MEDLINE database (from Jan 2006 to Dec 2010) and supplementary search on other important literatures, 29 overseas articles that were in accord with inclusive criteria were included. The results showed that the overseas scholars issued the international standard on human acupoint locations and proposed the localization system of animal acupoint model; discovered the new acupoint structure, characteristic of acupoint microcirculation, the states of the diseases could be specifically reflected through acupoint temperature, electric resistance, pressure and pain threshold, and the specific brainstem reaction could be induced by electroacupuncture at acupoints; verified initially the effect on nausea and vomiting with the related acupuncture methods at acupoints and explained the mechanisms on the local analgesia of acupuncture at acupoints; suggested that a further study should be expected on the low electric resistance property of acupoints and the effect specificity in the treatment of disease. Additionally, they were proposed that the domestic study should focus on the symptom treatment, correct application of logic reasoning, the secondary literature study and international exchange and cooperation.

[Discussion of 2011 Tokyo Declaration on Japanese Acupuncture and Moxibustion].

The contents of 2011 Tokyo Declaration on Japanese Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Declaration for short) and its effect on development situation, current status, features, opportunities and challenges of Japanese acupuncture and moxibustion are introduced, some proposals brought up in the Declaration are analyzed as well. The Declaration summarizes six characteristics of Japanese acupuncture and moxibustion, including paying great attention to palpation techniques such as pulse and abdominal diagnosis, always selecting response point in the meridian during acupuncture treatment, etc. Also six proposals have been brought up to promote the development of Japanese acupuncture and moxibustion, such as being devoted to spread the latest knowledge of acupuncture and moxibustion to medical professionals and the public in order to get correct understanding and proper evaluation, etc.

[Effect of the optimized traditional acupuncture prescription for accouchement on cervical ripening in late-stage pregnant rats].

Objective: To observe the mechanism of the optimized traditional acupuncture prescription for accouchement on cervical ripening based on the molecular biology by observing related indices of cervical ripening in late-stage pregnant rats.

Methods: Twenty initial pregnant Wistar rats were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture (EA) group (n = 10) and a model group (n = 10), and other 10 non-pregnancy female rats with same lot were selected as a blank control group. EA group was treated with the optimized traditional acupuncture prescription for accouchement on the 20th day of pregnant, which performed EA at bilateral "Hegu" (LI 4) for 20 min and then at bilateral "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) for 5 min with 2 Hz/50 Hz sparse-dense wave, while the other groups without acupuncture intervention.

[Progress on the research of acupuncture's role in anti-early pregnancy in recent 9 years].

Through CNKI retrieval, 40 articles were selected from Medical Journals published between January 2003 and December 2011, and the study designs, intervention methods and conclusions of the articles were analyzed. It turned out that in the area of clinical research, the main usage of acupuncture was assist treatment of artificial abortion and drug-induced abortion: in artificial abortion, acupuncture can play a role in analgesia, artificial abortion syndrome relieving, and cervix dilating, while in the drug induced abortion, acupuncture can play a role in improving completed abortion rate, accelerating foetal sac release, decreasing side effects and regulating postoperative bleeding. In mechanism research, the effect of acupuncture on uterine tissue was revealed in terms of neuroendocrine.

[Effect of electroacupuncture at different frequencies on serum estradiol and progesterone levels in late-stage pregnancy rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at different frequencies on serum estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), thromboxance B2 (TXB2), 6-Keton-prostaglandin F 1 alpha (6-keto-PGF1alpha) contents in late pregnancy rats so as to study its mechanisms underlying labor promotion.

Methods: A total of 66 late-stage pregnant Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: normal control, late-pregnancy model (model), 2 Hz-EA, 20 Hz-EA, 50 Hz-EA and 100 Hz-EA groups, with 11 rats in each group. On the 19th day after pregnancy, EA (2 Hz, 20 Hz, 50 Hz, 100 Hz, 0.

Does Traditional Chinese Medicine pattern affect acupoint specific effect? Analysis of data from a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial for primary dysmenorrhea.

Objectives: This study assessed the importance of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) pattern on an acupoint-specific effect.

Design: This was a TCM pattern subdivision analysis of the first intervention data from a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial (ISRCTN24863192) (the main trial).

Settings: The main trial recruited participants from six hospitals in three provinces in China.

[Current state of clinical application of acupuncture therapy in maternity department in countries outside China].

In the present review, the authors sumarrize current situations about application of acupuncture and moxibustion therapies in the maternity department in countries outside China in accordance with 68 articles in English published from 2000 to 2011. The clinical application includes: 1) dilivery processing, 2) lumbo-sacrodynia, 3) dilivery pain, 4) pregnancy problems, 5) problems of post-dilivery, 6) conversion of fetal breech presentation, 7) nausea and vomitting during early pregnancy, 8) safety, 9) depression during pregnancy, and 10) blood supply of fetus. In addition, the retrieved papers include 13 review papers, 4 survey papers and one animal study.

[Effect of electroacupuncture at different acupoints on plasma TXB2 and 6-keto-PGF(1alpha), contents in dysmenorrhea rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on plasma thromboxane B2(TXB2) and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha (6-keto-PGF1alpha) levels in dysmenorrhea rats in order to investigate its mechanism underlying relief of primary dysmenorrhea and specificity of acupoint efficacy.

Methods: Female SD rats with diestrus were randomly divided into saline control (control), model, EA Sanyinjiao (SP 6), EA Xuehai (SP 10), EA Xuanzhong (GB 39) and EA non-acupoint (NAP) groups, with 10 rats in each. Dysmenorrhea model was established by subcutaneous injection of Estradiol Benzoate (0.

[Effects of electroacupuncture at points of a traditional acupuncture formula that induces labor with different parameters on uterine contractility in late-stage pregnant rats].

Objective: To select the most effective parameters of electroacupuncture (EA) at Hegu (LI4) and Sanyinjiao (SP6), a traditional acupuncture formula that induces labor, by comparing its effects on uterine contraction in late-stage pregnant rats, so as to improve the effects of acupuncture on induction of labor and its clinical maneuverability and provide the basis for further mechanism research.

Methods: One hundred and eight female healthy adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into eight groups including one non-pregnancy control group (normal control group) and seven pregnant groups. Pregnant rats were prepared by free mating and vaginal plugs observation method and were randomly divided into six EA groups and one no EA group (model group) according to the requirements of a 2×3 factorial design.