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This 16-week randomised controlled trial (8-week treatment followed by 8-week follow-up) evaluated the symptomatic improvement in patients with knee osteoarthritis on 3 sessions per week of acupuncture (TSWA) compared to 1 session per week of acupuncture (OSWA). Sixty participants were randomised to either the TSWA or the OSWA group in a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcome was response rate, defined as the percentage of participants achieving ≥2 points decrease on the numerical rating scale (NRS) and ≥6 points decrease in Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) function score at week 8 compared with baseline. Additional outcomes included response rates at weeks 4 and 16, NRS, WOMAC, Patient Global Assessment, 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), and treatment credibility and expectancy. No significant difference was seen in response rate between TSWA and OSWA groups at week 8 (64.7% vs 50.0%; difference, 14.7 percentage points [95% CI, -10.1 to 39.4 percentage points], P = 0.435). At weeks 4 and 16, the TSWA group had higher response rates than the OSWA group (week-4: difference, 44.7 percentage points [95% CI, 23.2-66.1 percentage points], P = 0.001; week-16: difference, 46.0 percentage points [95% CI, 24.4-67.6 percentage points], P < 0.001). Participants in the TSWA group experienced significantly greater improvements in NRS, WOMAC function, and Patient Global Assessment than those in the OSWA group. There were no significant between-group differences in WOMAC stiffness and SF-12. In summary, TSWA immediately improved knee pain and dysfunction compared with OSWA. In addition, the benefit of TSWA persists throughout follow-up.

Background and Purpose: Emerging evidence suggests that acupuncture could improve cognitive impairment in vascular dementia by enhancing synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether dopamine, a key mediator of synaptic plasticity, is involved in this cognitive improvement., Methods: Vascular dementia model was established by bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion in male Wistar rats. Three days after the operation, animals received acupuncture treatment for 2 weeks, once daily. The D1/D5 receptors antagonist SCH23390 was administered intraperitoneally 15 minutes before each acupuncture treatment. Morris water maze was examined after acupuncture. Long-term potentiation was studied by an electrophysiological technique. Dopamine and metabolites levels were detected by microdialysis and high-performance liquid chromatography from brain tissue. The expression of D1R and D5R was analyzed by immunofluorescence., Results: Acupuncture remarkably reversed cognitive deficits in 2-vessel occlusion model (2VO) rats, and the acupuncture points Zusanli (ST36) and Baihui (GV20) were confirmed to be the most effective combination. Electrophysiological recording data showed that 2VO-induced impairments of long-term potentiation were prevented by acupuncture. In addition, acupuncture promoted the release of dopamine and its major metabolites in the hippocampus of 2VO rats. The immunofluorescence experiment showed that the decrease of D1R and D5R in hippocampal dentate gyrus region of 2VO rats was reversed by acupuncture. Furthermore, we found that the effects of acupuncture against 2VO-induced impairments in cognition and synaptic plasticity were abolished by SCH23390., Conclusions: Improvement in cognition and hippocampal synaptic plasticity induced by acupuncture was achieved via activation of D1/D5 receptors in 2VO rats., (© 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Objective: To explore the physiologic mechanism of immediate analgesic effect of acupuncture in primary dysmenorrhea patients., Methods: Forty primary dysmenorrhea patients were randomized into the Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupuncture group, Xuanzhong (GB39) control group, nonacupoint control group, or no acupuncture group. Patients in the 3 acupuncture groups were treated with electroacupuncture at assigned points lasting 30 minutes, whereas patients in no acupuncture group did not receive any acupuncture intervention. Before and after acupuncture, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were recorded and blood samples were taken for the measurement of the plasma levels of 4 principal prostaglandins (PGE(2), PGF(2a), TXB(2), and 6-keto PGF(1a))., Results: The VAS scores for pain intensity significant decreased in patients who received acupuncture compared with those had no acupuncture intervention. However, there were no significant differences among patients in the 3 acupuncture groups after acupuncture. In addition, no statistically significant differences were observed in the plasma PGE(2), PGF(2a), TXB(2), or 6-keto PGF(1a) levels and the ratios of PGF(2a)/PGE(2), and TXB(2)/6-keto PGF(1a) after acupuncture at SP6., Conclusions: The immediate analgesic effect of SP6 might not be mediated by changes in the prostaglandin levels.