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To observe the effect of acupuncture on the cerebral infarct volume and expressions of Beclin1, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and p62 proteins related to cell autophagy in rats with cerebral ischemia (CI), so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of CI injury.Male SD rats were randomized into 3 groups: sham operation, model and acupuncture which were further divided into 4 subgroups according to different ischemia time-points: 3, 6, 12 and 24 h (Compared with those of the sham operation group，the neurological deficit scores at 2, 3, 6， 12 and 24 h after CI, and the infarct volumes, the expression levels of Beclin1 and the ratios of LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ at 3, 6, 12 and 24 h were considerably increased (Acupuncture stimulation of GV26 and PC6 can reduce the CI volume and improve neurological function in CI rats， which may be related to its efficacy in down-regulating the expression of Beclin1 and the ratio of LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ, and up-regulating the expression of p62 in the ischemic brain tissue， thereby improving autophagy flux.

To investigate the short-term effect and safety on female abdominal obesity and defecation function in treatment with acupoint embedding therapy at different abdominal layers under B ultrasound.A total of 102 female patients with abdominal obesity were randomly divided into 3 groups, i.e. a deep embedding group (34 cases, 1 case dropped out), a shallow embedding group (34 cases, 3 cases dropped out) and a sham-embedding group (34 cases, 6 cases dropped out). Finally, 92 cases were included in the three groups. Under B ultrasound, in the deep embedding group, the absor-bable surgical suture were embedded in subcutaneous fat layer and muscle layer. In the shallow embedding group, the absorbable surgical suture was embedded in the fat layer and in the sham-embedding group, no suture was embedded. The acupoints for embedding therapy included Zhongwan (CV12), Guanyuan (CV4), bilateral Guanmen (ST22), bilateral Tianshu (ST25), bilateral Daimai (GB26) and bilateral Shuidao (ST28). The acupoint embedding therapy was exerted once every two weeks, for 4 times totally. Before and after treatment, the changes in abdominal obesity indicators (waist circumference ［WC］, body fat rate ［BFR］, body mass index ［BMI］, abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness ［ASFT］) and defecation function indicators (spontaneous bowel movement times ［SBMs］ and Bristol stool scale ［BSS］) were observed and the safety indicators were assessed.After treatment, WC, BFR, BMI and ASFT were lower than those before treatment in both the deep embedding group and the shallow embedding group (Acupoint embedding therapy in both the deep and the shallow subcutaneous layers under B ultrasound may regulate the indicators of female abdominal obesity safely. The acupoint embedding therapy in the deep layer is more effective on abdominal obesity and defecation improvement as compared with that exerted in the shallow layer.

To compare the efficacy of different electroacupuncture (EA) frequencies and wave patterns combined with medication and medication alone for sudden hearing loss (SHL), and to explore better electroacupuncture stimulation parameters.All of 118 patients with SHL were randomly divided into an acupuncture and medication group 1 (group 1, 30 cases, 1 case dropped off), an acupuncture and medication group 2 (group 2, 30 cases), an acupuncture and medication group 3 (group 3, 31 cases) and a medication group (27 cases, 1 case dropped off ). The patients in the medication group were treated with conventional medication. On the base of the medication group, the patients in the group 1, 2, and 3 were treated with acupuncture at Ermen (TE 21), Tinggong (SI 19), Tinghui (GB 2), Fengchi (GB 20), etc. on the affected side, and EA at Ermen (TE 21)-Yifeng (TE 17), Tinghui (GB 2)-Yifeng (TE 17) alternately. The 3 groups were given continuous wave with frequency of 2 Hz, continuous wave with frequency of 50 Hz, and disperse-dense wave with frequency of 2 Hz/50 Hz respectively. The treatment was given once a day, 10 days were as one course, with 2 courses in total. Before and after treatment, the pure tone hearing threshold test was performed, and the curative effect of pure tone hearing threshold test and the curative effect of tinnitus, ear fullness and dizziness were compared in the 3 groups.After treatment, the pure tone hearing threshold test values of each group were lower than those before treatment (On the basis of conventional medication treatment, the addition of electroacupuncture can effectively improve the hearing and ear stuffiness symptoms of patients with SHL, and the disperse-dense wave with frequency of 2 Hz/50 Hz is more effective.

To observe the effect of acupuncture on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and endostatin (Endostatin, ES) mRNAs and proteins (angiogenesis related factors) in the ischemic penumbra region in rats with cerebral infarction (CI), so as to explore its underlying mechanisms in prolonging the time window of thrombolysis therapy for CI.A total of 48 male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation, model, medication (6 h thrombolysis) and acupuncture (Acupunct)+medication groups (n=12 in each group). The CI model was established using modified auto-thrombus method. Six hours after thrombolysis, recombinant human tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA,10 mg/kg) was given to rats of the thrombolysis group through tail vein. Acupuncture was applied at "Shuigou"(CV26) and bilateral "Neiguan" (PC6) 2 h after successful modeling, and the needles were retained for 30 minutes. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was monitored during modeling in each group, and the neurological deficit score (0-7 points) was given 2 h and 24 h after successful modeling according to Bederson's methods. The cerebral infarction volume was observed after triphenyltetrazole chloride (TTC) staining. The protein and mRNA expression levels of VEGF, bFGF and ES in the ischemic penumbra region of the right cerebral cortex were detected by Western blot and real-time PCR, separately.The neurological deficit score at both 2 h and 24 h after modeling, percentage of cerebral infarction volume, and the expression levels of VEGF, bFGF and ES proteins and mRNAs in the model group were significantly higher than those of the sham operation group (Acupuncture and timely intervention can prolong the time window of thrombolysis in CI rats, which may be related to its function in up-regulating the expression of VEGF and bFGF mRNAs and proteins and in down-regulating the expression of ES mRNA and protein in ischemic cerebral cortex.

To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of thrombolysis combined with acupuncture therapy in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction (ACI) in the light of evidence-based medicine.Randomized controlled trials (RCT) for acupuncture and thrombolysis treatment of acute cerebral infarction published from the inception of databa-ses to March 2020 were searched from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of science, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and CBM Database. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, two reviewers independently screened the RCTs and extracted the data. The quality of the included literature was evaluated, and the Meta-analysis was performed by using Revman 5.3 software.A total of 330 studies were identified, and 14 RCTs (including 604 cases of the treatment group, 598 cases of the control group) met the inclusion criteria. The Meta-analysis showed that the thrombolysis combined with acupuncture therapy was better than acupuncture therapy alone in the clinical effective rate (risk ratio ［The current effective evidence shows that acupuncture has certain advantages in improving the therapeutic effect and safety of thrombolysis in the treatment of ACI patients.

BackgroundChronic Sciatica is a disabling condition causing considerable medical, social and financial implications. Currently, there is no recognised long-term effective treatment to alleviate sciatica. Acupuncture has been widely used for treating chronic pains with persistent analgesic effects. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for chronic sciatica with follow-up in 52 weeks.Methods and analysisThis is a multicenter randomised sham-controlled trial. A total of 216 patients with chronic sciatica will be enrolled and randomly assigned to the acupuncture or sham acupuncture group. There will be 10 treatment sessions applied in 4 weeks with frequency decreased over time. Patients will complete follow-ups during 52 weeks. The primary outcomes are changes in leg pain intensity and disability from baseline to week 4. Secondary outcomes include back pain intensity, frequency and bothersomeness, quality of life, and global perceived effect. Adverse events will be recorded in detail.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval of this trial was granted from the ethics committee of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and all study centres (No. 2020BZYLL0803). Written informed consent will be obtained from enrolled patients. Trial results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications.Trial registration numberChiCTR2100044585 (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, http://www.chictr.org.cn, registered on 24 March 2021); preresults.

Axon guidance cues includes Slit, Semaphorin, Ephrin and Netrin. They have the function of regulating the regeneration of axons and guiding the regenerated axons to the correct target. They can affect the nervous system, cardiovascular system, and participate in the proliferation and migration of tumor cells. The current research on the influence of acupuncture and moxibustion(mainly focusing on electroacupuncture) on axon guidance cues is limited to animal experiments. Electroacupuncture can treat diseases dominated by the nervous system by regulating the expression of axon guidance cues. This review summarizes the research progress of acupuncture and moxibustion on regulating axonal guidance cues, is hoped to provide references for the mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion in treating nervous system disease and ideas for acupuncture treatment of diseases related to axon guidance cues.轴突生长导向分子有Slit、Semaphorin、Ephrin和Netrin。它们具有调节轴突再生和引导再生轴突向正确靶向延伸的作用，可影响神经系统、心血管系统，参与肿瘤细胞的增殖和迁移等。目前关于针灸(主要集中在电针)对轴突生长导向分子影响的研究仅为动物实验研究。电针可通过调节轴突生长导向分子的表达来治疗以神经系统为主的疾病。本文归纳了针灸调节轴突生长导向分子的研究进展，以期为针灸治疗与轴突生长导向分子相关的疾病提供思路。.

Background Acupuncture is widely used for pain diseases while evidence of its efficacy for sciatica is insufficient. We aim to explore the feasibility and efficacy of acupuncture with different acupoint selecting strategies for sciatica induced by lumbar disc herniation. Methods This is a multicenter, three-arm, patient-assessor-blinded randomized controlled pilot trial. Ninety patients will be assigned randomly into 3 groups including disease-affected meridians (DAM) group, non-affected meridians (NAM) group, and sham acupuncture (SA) group in a 1:1:1 ratio. The trial involves a 4-week treatment along with follow-up for 22 weeks. The primary outcome is the change of leg pain intensity measured by the visual analogue scale (VAS) from baseline to week 4 after randomization. Secondary outcomes include functional status, back pain intensity, and quality of life. Adverse events will also be recorded. Discussion The results will inspire the optimal acupuncture strategy for sciatica and help establish a better design as well as power calculation for a full-scale study. Trial registration ChiCTR2000030680 (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, http://www.chictr.org.cn, registered on 9 March 2020).

To observe the short-term and long-term clinical effect on posterior circulation ischemic vertigo treated with "Ninety patients with posterior circulation ischemic vertigo were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, 45 cases in each group. The patients of the two groups were all treated on the base of neurological medicine. In the control group, Flunarizine Hydrochloride was prescribed for oral administration (5 mg, once daily, for 21 days totally). In the treatment group, acupuncture of "After treatment, the total effective rate of the treatment group was 91.11% (41/45) and 75.56% (34/45) in the control group. The total effective rate in the treatment group was higher than that in the control group ("

Purpose Fibromyalgia (FM) can cause chronic widespread pain and seriously affect the quality of patient lives. Acupuncture therapy is widely used for pain management. However, the effect of acupuncture on FM is still uncertain. The aim of this review was to determine the effect and safety of acupuncture therapy on the pain intensity and quality of life in patients with FM. Materials and methods We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture for FM published before May 2018. A meta-analysis was performed according to the Cochrane systematic review method by using RevMan 5.3 software, and GRADE was used to evaluate the quality of the evidence. Results We identified 12 RCTs that compared acupuncture therapy to sham acupuncture or conventional medication. Meta-analysis showed that acupuncture was significantly better than sham acupuncture for relieving pain (MD =-1.04, 95% CI [-1.70, -0.38], P=0.002, I 2=78%) and improving the quality of life (MD =-13.39, 95% CI [-21.69, -5.10], P=0.002, I 2=82%), with low- to moderate-quality evidence in the short term. At follow-up in the long term, the effect of acupuncture was also superior to that of sham acupuncture. No serious adverse events were found during acupuncture. Conclusion Acupuncture therapy is an effective and safe treatment for patients with FM, and this treatment can be recommended for the management of FM.

According to the effect of the spirit and

Based on the "brain-mind theory" of traditional Chinese medicine, the dysfunction of brain mind is the mechanism of the Parkinson's disease in pathogenesis. In modern medicine, the brain-gut axis theory believes that the impairment of intestinal flora is of the reciprocal causation with the cerebral pathological changes in Parkinson's disease. Hence, the theory of

To observe the effect of acupuncture (Acupunct) on cerebral infarction volume and expression of poly ADP ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1), apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and endonuclease G (Endo-G) in the cerebral cortex tissue at different time-points after cerebral ischemia (CI) in acute cerebral infarction rats, so as to explore its underlying mechanisms in prolonging time window of thrombolysis.Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation, model, intravenous thrombolysis (IVT)-4.5 h, IVT-6 h, IVT-9 h, Acupunct＋IVT-4.5 h, Acupunct ＋IVT-6 h, Acupunct＋IVT-9 h groups (Compared with the sham operation group, the neurological score and percentage of cerebral infarction volume, expression levels of PARP1, AIF and Endo-G proteins were significantly increased in the model group (Acupuncture may improve neurological function, reduce cerebral infarction volume and prolong the time window of thrombolysis in CI rats, which may be associated with its effect in suppressing AIF/PARP1/ Endo-G signaling.

To observe the influence of acupuncture and moxibustion on humoral immunity and cellular immunity related indexes in patients with bra-chiocephalic Takayasu arteritis (BCTA), so as to explore its underlying mechanisms in the treatment of Takayasu arteritis (TA).A total of 31 BCTA patients (9 men and 22 women at age of 16-70 years) were treated by manual acupuncture stimulation of main acupoint Renying(ST 9)and auxillary acupoints as Jiquan (HT 1), Chize (LU 5), Fengchi (GB 20), bilateral Xinshu (BL15), Feishu (BL 13) and Geshu (BL 17), Jingming (BL 1), etc. according to clinical symptoms, with the needles retained for 20 min. Additionally, moxibustion was applied to Taiyuan (LU 9), BL 15, BL 13 and BL 17. The treatment was conducted twice daily for 4 weeks. Serum IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, CBefore the treatment and in these 31 BCTA patients, an abnormal increase was found in serum IgG content in 10 cases, IgM in 3 cases, IgE in 3 cases, CAcupuncture plus moxibustion can regulate some of the abnormally elevated and lowered humoral immunity and cellular immunity related indexes in BCTA patients, possibly having a favorable role in the treatment of BCTA.

Background Increasingly, studies demonstrate the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy against liver fibrosis. Curcumin is a natural product with antifibrotic effects, but has poor pharmacokinetic profiles. This study aimed to evaluate whether acupuncture combined with curcumin could more potently attenuate liver fibrosis in chemical intoxicated rats. Methods 60 Sprague–Dawley male rats were randomly divided into control, model, sham, acupuncture, curcumin and combination therapy groups. During the establishment of fibrosis using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), acupuncture at LR3, LR14, BL18 and ST36 and/or curcumin treatment by mouth were performed simultaneously. After treatment, pathological indexes and histology for hepatic injury and fibrogenesis were detected. The expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) components was also determined. Results Acupuncture combined with curcumin potently protected the liver from CCl4-induced injury and fibrogenesis, as indicated by reduced levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, hyaluronic acid, laminin and procollagen III. Combined use also led to significant liver histological improvements. Furthermore, combined use effectively inhibited ECM expression such as α-smooth muscle actin, fibronectin and α1(1) collagen. Conclusions Acupuncture treatment could significantly enhance the antifibrotic efficacy of curcumin on CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats in vivo, suggesting that a combination of acupuncture with curcumin may be exploited for the prevention of hepatic fibrosis.

To explore the intervention timing of acupuncture in treatment of cerebral infarction and the relationship of cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury with inflammatory cytokine receptor.One hundred and ten male healthy Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal group (n=10), a sham operation group (n=10), a model group (n=10), an acupuncture at non-acupoint group (non-acupoint group, n=40), an acupuncture with regaining consciousness method group (regaining consciousness group, n=40). Four subgroups were set up 1 h ischemia reperfusion in 1 h group, 3 h group, 6 h group, 12 h group in the two acupuncture groups, 10 rats in each subgroup. Two acupuncture groups were treated with acupuncture at four time points (1 h, 3 h, 6 h and 12 h after ischemia reperfusion), and "Shuigou" (GV 26) and "Neiguan" (PC 6) were selected in regaining consciousness group, and the non-acupoints below the bilateral costal region were selected in non-acupoint group. At the corresponding time point, the tissues of the brain were removed and interleukin1 receptor (IL-1RI) and tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR-I) mRNA and protein changes were detected by using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunoblot assay.The expression of IL-1RI and TNFR-I mRNA and protein in the model group were significantly higher than that in normal group, sham operation group, regaining consciousness group and non-acupoint group (P0.01, P0.05). The expression of IL-1RI and TNFR-I mRNA and protein in regaining consciousness group was weakest at 3 h after reperfusion followed successively by 6 h, 1 h, 12 h, and there was no significantly change of IL-1RI and TNFR-I mRNA and protein expression in non-acupoint group among different timing points, but which was decreased as compared with those in the model group at the same time point (all P0.05).Acupuncture can reduce the expression of IL-1RI and TNFR-I mRNA and protein in rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion, inhibit the excessive expression of proinflammatory cytokine receptor, block apoptosis signal transduction and extend time window for treatment of cerebral ischemia, so as to play the protective effect for brain. Within 3 h of ischemia is the best time for intervention of acupuncture treatment.

To observe the effect of acupuncture stimulation of "Taichong" (LR 3), "Qimen" (LR 14), etc. on hepatic platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signal pathway activity at the protein and mRNA levels in hepatic fibrosis rats.Forty-six SD rats were randomly divided into control (10 rats), model (12 rats), acupuncture (12 rats) and non-acupoint (12 rats) groups. Hepatic fibrosis model was established by intraperitoneal injection of mixture solution of 50% CCl4 and olive oil [1:1, 3 times on the 1st week (W), twice/W thereafter for 5 more weeks]. During modeling, acupuncture stimulation of "Taichong" (LR 3), "Qimen" (LR 14), "Ganshu" (BL 18) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) was conducted simultaneously. At the end of the experiments, all the rats were sacrificed for collecting their liver and blood samples, followed by separation of the hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). ELISA, Western blot and Real-time quantitative PCR techniques were used to detect the content of serum PDGF and expression levels of PDGF-beta receptor (PDGF-beta R), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and P 38 genes and proteins of HSCs, respectively.Compared to the control group, serum PDGF content, and expression levels of PDGF-beta R mRNA and protein, ERK mRNA and protein and P 38 protein of HSCs in the model group were upregulated significantly (P0.01, P0.05). In comparison with the model group, serum PDGF content, and the expression levels of PDGF-beta R mRNA and protein, ERK mRNA and protein of HSCs in the acupuncture group were down-regulated apparently (P0.05, P0.01). No significant differences were found between the acupuncture and non-acupoint groups in serum PDGF content and between the model group and non-acupoint group in the expression levels of PDGF-beta R mRNA and protein, ERK mRNA and protein, JNK protein and P 38 protein of HSCs, as well as between the model group and acupuncture group in the expression levels of JNK protein and P 38 protein of HSCs (P0.05).Acupuncture intervention can effectively down-regulate serum PDGF content, and expression levels of PDGF-beta R mRNA and protein, ERK mRNA and protein of HSCs in liver fibrosis rats, which may contribute to its effect in improving liver fibrosis through down-regulating PDGF signal pathway activity.

Background Acupuncture treatment has been increasingly used to treat chronic liver diseases. We previously reported that acupuncture combined with curcumin, a natural antifibrotic compound, could remarkably attenuate liver fibrosis in chemically intoxicated rats, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. The present study was aimed at investigating the effects of acupuncture combined with curcumin on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signalling and extracellular matrix (ECM) regulation in the fibrotic liver. Methods A total of 60 Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into control, model, sham, acupuncture, curcumin and combination treatment groups. During the establishment of fibrosis using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), acupuncture at LR3, LR14, BL18 and ST36 and/or curcumin treatment by mouth were performed simultaneously. After treatment, serum PDGF levels were measured. Protein and mRNA expression of key effectors in PDGF pathway and fibrinolysis in the liver was determined. Results Acupuncture combined with curcumin potently reduced serum PDGF levels and selectively disrupted the PDGF-βR/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) cascade. Combination treatment also significantly repressed expression of connective tissue growth factor and upregulated expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9, promoting fibrinolysis in the fibrotic liver. Conclusions The beneficial effects of acupuncture and its combination with curcumin could be attributed to the disruption of PDGF-βR/ERK pathway and stimulated ECM degradation in the fibrotic liver. Acupuncture treatment significantly enhanced curcumin effects at the molecular level. These findings may provide molecular insights into the potential of acupuncture combined with curcumin for prevention of hepatic fibrosis.

To investigate the protective effect of acupuncture intervention on liver in carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic fibrosis rats and to reveal its impact on extracellular matrix production in the liver tissue.A total of 46 SD rats were randomly divided into control group (n = 10), model group (n = 12), sham group (n = 12) and acupuncture group (n = 12). Hepatic fibrosis model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 50% olive oil containing CCl (1 mL/kg), 3 times in the 1st week and twice per week from the 2nd to the 6th week. During the fibrosis model establishment, acupuncture of "Taichong" (LR 3), "Qimen" (LR 14), "Ganshu" (BL 18) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) was carried out simultaneously. In the sham group, non-acupuncture points (0.5 cm left to the above-mentioned real points) were punctured. The treatment was conducted 3 times a week in the first three weeks and then twice a week for the last three weeks. Serum levels of hyaluronic acid (HA), liminin (LN) and precollagen (PC III) were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for assessing the hepatic fibrosis degree. Primary hepatic stellate cells (HSC) were separated. Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA), alpha 1 (l) collagen, fibronectin, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 (components of extracellular matrix, ECM) and tissue inhibitor of metalloprotei-nase-1 (TIMP-1, an inhibitor of MMP-9) proteins of HSC. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression levels of alpha-SMA, alpha 1 (1) collagen and fibronectin genes of HSC.Compared with the control group, contents of serum HA, LN and PC III, expression levels of alpha-SMA, alpha 1 (I) collagen and fibronectin proteins and genes, and TIMP-1 protein of HSC were significantly increased in the model group (P0.01, P0.05), while MMP-9 protein (an enzyme for degradating ECM) expression level of HSC in the model group was down-regulated significantly (P0.01), suggesting a formation of hepatic fibrosis, impairment of the liver tissue fibrosis and imbalance of degradation of ECM. H.E. staining showed an ameliorated liver injury (disorder of hepatocyte arrangement, hepatocyte necrosis, formation of pseudolobule, etc.) in the acupuncture group in comparison with the model group. In comparison with the model group, serum HA and LN contents, expression levels of alpha-SMA, alpha 1(I) collagen and fibronectin proteins, and alpha-SMA mRNA and fibronectin mRNA of HSC were downregulated considerably in the acupuncture group (P0.05, P0.01). On the contrary, MMP-9 protein expression level of HSC was up-regulated remarkably in the acupuncture group compared with the model group (P0.05). No significant changes were found in all the aforementioned indexes in the sham group, and serum PC III content as well as alpha 1 (I) collagen mRNA and TIMP-1 protein expression levels of HSC in the acupuncture group compared with those in the model group (P0.05).Acupuncture treatment can significantly relieve CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis in hepatic fibrosis rats probably by inhibiting the synthesis and deposite of HA and LN, down-regulating expression levels of alpha-SMA, alpha 1(1) collagen and fibronectin proteins, and alpha-SMA mRNA and fibronectin mRNA of HSC as well as up-regulating MMP-9 protein expression of HSC.

To investigate the material base and underlying mechanism of the effect of cluster needling of scalp acupuncture on the neuronal plasticity in rats with focal cerebral infarction.The model rats with acute cerebral infarction were made by blocking the middle cerebral artery with monofilament. One hundred and thirty two Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: sham-operation group (A), model group (B), point-to-point scalp acupuncture group (C) and cluster-needling of scalp acupunture group (D). Puncturing from "Baihui (GV 20)" to "Qubin (GB 7)" was used in group C. Cluster needling of scalp acupuncture was used in group D, in which needles were inserted forward and slantingly into "Baihui (GV 20)" and its left and right sides at 4 mm. In both groups, the treatment was carried out with rapid twirling reinforcing-reducing for 1 min then retaining needle for 30 min, once a day, 6 days in one course, for treating 4 courses. There was no treatment for group A and B. The change of neurological function was evaluated with Bederson score, while the expression of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) in the ischemic penumbra was examined with immunohistochemistry (streptavidin-peroxidase method).In comparison,with group B, the score of neurological function in group D decreased on 7th day (P0.05), while the scors in group C and D also decreased on 14th and 28th days (both P0.05). As compared with group C, the score of neurological function in group D obviously decreased on 28th days (P0. 05). Comparing with group B, the expression of MAP-2 on the ischemic cortex was significantly increased in group D and C on 7th, 14th and 28th days (all P0. 05), however, this expression in group D was higher than that in group C on 14th and 28th days (P0. 05).Cluster needling of scalp acupuncture can improve the neurological function of rats with focal cerebral infarction, and increase the expression of MAP-2 in the ischemic penumbra.

To observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on takayasu arteritis of brachiocephalic artery type and the mechanism.Thirty-one cases were treated by acupuncture and moxibustion at main acupoint Renying (ST 9) and adjuvant acupoints selected according to the symptoms. The therapeutic effect and changes of color Doppler's ultrasonic flow image (CDFI) of relevant arteries in patients before and after treatment were investigated.The clinical total effective rate was 90.3%. Of the 31 cases, 5 cases were clinically cured, 16 cases were markedly effective, 7 cases improved and 3 cases were ineffective; and it was showed that acupuncture and moxibustion could enlarge the inner diameter of the injured blood vessel, increase the volume of blood flow and the elastic index of the injured blood vessel, and improve the abnormal velocity and the abnormal crest form of blood flow.Acupuncture and moxibustion has a good therapeutic effect on takayasu arteritis of brachiocephalic artery type; acupuncture and moxibustion can improve the stenotic degree of the injured blood vessel and abnormal hemodynamics of blood flow in the limb and brain.