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To analyze and compare the features and strengths of different methods for calculating the biophysical properties of meridian points, and thus propose corresponding suggestions to fully achieve the research and application value of biophysical properties of meridian points. We searched and collected the literature on the imbalance of biophysical properties of meridian points between January 1, 2005 and March 1, 2020 in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Academic Journal Full-text Database (Wanfang), Chongqing VIP Database (CQVIP) and PubMed database, and then analyzed, compared, and summarized the applied methods for calculating the imbalance degree of the biophysical properties of meridian points. The current methods for calculating the imbalance degree of the biophysical properties of meridian points are diverse and can be summarized as the following three: direct comparison of the measured values of the left and right namesake points, difference method, and ratio method. The low uniformity of the calculation methods has limited the promotion and application of its research results. In future research on the biophysical properties of meridian points, multidisciplinary cooperation in terms of imbalance degree calculation methods, detection instruments, and health data models is necessary to achieve more widely applicable scientific conclusions and more generalized experimental results.

Objective To explore whether or not the changes in body surface resistance at yuan-source points of three yin meridians of foot can specifically responds the onset of primary dysmenorrhea (PD) in females of menstrual period and the before and after, so as to provide the evidence for acupoint selection in clinic. Methods A total of 90 cases of PD were recruited in a PD group and 90 healthy female undergraduates were recruited in a normal group. The yuan-source of points of three yin meridians of foot were selected, i.e. Taibai (太白SP3), Taichōng (太冲LR3) and Taixī (太溪KI3). The acupoints for control were Xuehai (血海SP10), the non-special acupoint, Xuanzhōng (悬钟GB39), the acupoint not on the relevant meridian, as well as a non-meridian point. Successively, before menstruation, on Day 1 during menstruation and on Day 3 after menstruation, the body surface resistance at the above-mentioned test sites was detected in the participants of two groups each day. The resistance imbalance degree (RID) of the bilateral acupoints was taken as the outcome indicator. The observation lasted one menstrual cycle. Results (1) Intra-group comparison: at LR3, the RID was lower on Day 1 during menstruation than that before menstruation significantly in the normal group (P ≤ 0.05). There was no significant change in RID at the same time points, but RID on Day 3 after menstruation was lower significantly than that before menstruation in the PD group (P ≤ 0.05). At SP3, KI3, SP10, GB39 and sham acupoint, there were no significant differences in RID among different time points within the same group (all P > 0.05). (2) Inter-group comparison: there were no significant differences in RID among different time points at the same point. (all P > 0.05). Conclusion RID at yuan-source points of three yin meridians of foot cannot specifically respond to PD. However, at LR3, before and after menstruation, RID changes are different between PD patients and healthy female undergraduates, which needs a further study in the future.

To observe the clinical efficacy of different treatment frequency of auricular bloodletting combined with auricular point sticking for acne vulgaris.A total of 90 patients with acne vulgaris were randomized into a treatment group 1 (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off), a treatment group 2 (30 cases, 4 cases dropped off) and a treatment group 3 (30 cases, 5 cases dropped off). Combination therapy of auricular bloodletting and auricular point sticking at Fei (COCompared before treatment, the scores of GAGS and skin lesion were decreased at each time point in the 3 groups (Different frequency of auricular bloodletting combined with auricular point sticking have similar efficacy in treating acne vulgaris, all can improve the skin lesion and quality of life in patients with acne vulgaris, and have a cumulative effect and good long-term curative effect.

To observe the blood perfusion volume variation pattern in the body surface microcirculation at the Yuan-Primary and the Xi-Cleft points during the menstrual cycle in female college students with moderate constitution under normal physiological state of the uterus; to explore the specific laws of the body surface microcirculation at the Yuan-Primary and Xi-Cleft points in response to the uterine qi and blood changes under normal physiological conditions, and to provide the experimental basis for the specificity of acupoints reflecting the uterine function. Forty-three healthy and moderate constitution female college students with regular menstrual cycles, without dysmenorrhea and not yet giving birth were recruited. Bilateral Yuan-Primary points [Taichong (LR 3), Taibai (SP 3) and Taixi (KI 3)] and Xi-Cleft points [Zhongdu (LR 6), Diji (SP 8) and Shuiquan (KI 5)], belonging to the three yin meridians of foot and adjacent to the spinal cord segment of the uterus, were selected as the detection acupoints; the crossing point of the three yin meridians of foot [Sanyinjiao (SP 6)], the uterus-related meridian acupoint [Xuehai (SP 10)], the uterus-non-related meridian acupoint [Xuanzhong (GB 39)], and the non-meridian non-acupoint point were selected as the control points. The laser speckle blood flow imaging technique was used to monitor the blood perfusion volume in skin microcirculation at the above points at the menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases of the subjects. The blood perfusion volume in the body surface microcirculation at the right Zhongdu (LR 6) at the ovulatory phase was higher than that at the menstrual, follicular and luteal phases (all P

To evaluate the effects of auricular acupoint bloodletting (AB) and auricular acupressure (AA) on sleep quality and the levels of melatonin (MT), glutamic acid (Glu), and γ -aminobutyric acid (GABA) in college students with primary insomnia, and to explore the possible mechanism.Totally 74 college students at Hebei University of Chinese Medicine with primary insomnia were selected from October 2019 to October 2020. All patients were assigned to AB+AA group (37 cases, received combination of AB and AA) and AA group (37 cases, received only AA on the same acupoints) by a random number table. Each group was treated twice a week for 4 weeks. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score, Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome score, total effective rate, serum concentrations of MT, Glu, and GABA, and Glu/GABA ratio were compared between the two groups after treatment and at follow-up. The safety of therapy was also evaluated.After 4-week treatment, the total scores of PSQI, each PSQI component score, and the CM syndrome scores in both groups all decreased (P0.05); the serum MT concentrations in both groups all increased (P0.05). The concentrations of Glu and GABA in the AB+AA group were significantly higher than those in the AA group after treatment (P0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the ratio of Glu/GABA in both groups before and after treatment (P0.05). At follow-up, the CM syndrome score in the AB+AA group was significantly lower than that in the AA group (P0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in total effective rates and adverse events (P0.05).Both AB+AA and AA can relieve insomnia symptoms, but a stronger long-term effect were observed for AB+AA. AB+AA can promote the secretion of MT, increase the levels of Glu and GABA more effective than AA, and regulate their imbalance, and thus it may be benificial for treating insomnia.

By observing the body surface temperature changes of different meridian acupoints located at the same or adjacent spinal segments of the uterus during the whole storing and releasing process of the uterus under normal physiological condition by the infrared thermal imaging technology, to explore the specific patterns that the functions of Zang-fu organs are reflected on the biophysical characteristics of acupoints, and to enrich the functional specificity theory of the meridian acupoints, thus to provide a reference for discussing the biophysical characteristics of meridian acupoints associated with the menstrual cycle in healthy female college students. Ninety healthy subjects were included. Infrared thermal imaging device was used to detect the body surface temperature of the Yuan-Primary points, the Xi-Cleft points, the crossing points, the non-specific points, the unrelated meridian acupoints and the non-meridian non-acupoint points of the three yin meridians of foot located at the same or adjacent spinal cord segment with uterus, during the menstrual phase, the follicular phase, the ovulation phase and the luteal phase. The absolute skin temperature difference between the left and right acupoints with the same name was used as the main outcome indicator. The temperature difference between left and right Diji (SP 8, the Xi-Cleft point of the Spleen Meridian) during the ovulation phase was significantly higher than that during the other 3 phases (all P 0.05); the absolute temperature difference value of each meridian acupoint was not statistically different from each other in the same phase (all P>0.05). The temperature of Diji (SP 8) specifically reflected the onset of ovulation, and the thermal characteristics of Diji (SP 8) specifically reflected the physiological changes of uterus. The meridian acupoints reflecting the performance of Zang-fu function is not only associated with the spinal cord segment innervating the acupoints, but also associated with the characteristics of the acupoints and the meridians to which the acupoints belong.

Background: Diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is a common disease without an established optimal treatment. Acupuncture has promising effects on IBS-D, but high-quality evidence is scarce.Methods: In this parallel, multicenter, randomized controlled trial, participants with IBS-D were assigned to three groups: specific acupoints (SA), non-specific acupoints (NSA) and non-acupoints (NA). Participants received 12 sessions (3 sessions per week) treatment over 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was a composite response rate at week 4 of treatment. An eligible composite responder was responded in both abdominal pain intensity and stool consistency, defined as at least 30% decrease in the weekly average of worst abdominal pain score and 50% or greater reduction in the number of Type 6 or 7 stool days weekly compared with baseline.Results: Of 201 screened patients with IBS-D, 90 (44.8%) patients were enrolled, and 88.9% patients completed this study (26 in NSA; 27 in SA and NA). The composite response rates at week 4 were 46.7%, 46.7% and 26.7% (P＞0.05) of the participants who received SA, NSA and NA acupuncture, respectively. Adverse events were reported in 2 (6.7%) patients in SA, 3 (10%) patients in NSA and NA. There were no serious adverse events.Conclusions: The present study suggests that acupuncture treatment is feasible and safe for IBS-D patients. The further adequately powered trials can be achieved by recruiting more patients, increasing treatment dose, prolonging follow-up, choosing specific acupoints, setting up sham-acupuncture control, or a combination thereof.Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000030670. Registered on 9 March 2020. https://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=50167&htm=4

The relevant provisions of bloodletting for expelling pathogens are collected from the works of the medical representative scholars in Jin-Yuan Dynasties and Ming-Qing Dynasties respectively to construct the databases of bloodletting for expelling pathogens of Jin-Yuan Dynasties and Ming-Qing Dynasties. Using frequency analysis, the bloodletting device, bloodletting location, bloodletting volume, the related pathogens and indications are compared between these two times so that the evidences could be provided for the inheritance and development of the academic thought of bloodletting for expelling pathogens. It is found that the three-edge needle is the most commonly used device for bloodletting in Jin-Yuan Dynasties and Ming-Qing Dynasties and整理金元和明清时期代表医家相关著作中有关刺络祛邪的条文，构建金元-明清时期刺络祛邪数据库，运用频次分析比较刺络工具、刺络部位、刺血量、所祛之邪、主治病证的异同，为刺络祛邪学术思想的传承与发展提供依据。发现金元及明清时期使用最多的刺络工具均为三棱针，刺络部位均以阳经和局部为主；明清时期在经脉和穴位选择上较金元时期更广泛，而刺血量少于金元时期；金元时期刺络祛邪主要针对热、火、风等外感之邪，明清时期则以热、瘀血居多；主治病证均为内科病，与金元时期比较，明清时期主治病证范围逐渐扩大。明清时期继承并发展了金元时期刺络祛邪学术思想。.

To observe the clinical efficacy of auricular point pricking-bloodletting plus auricular point sticking therapy for acne vulgaris. A total of 66 patients with acne vulgaris were randomized into an observation group and a control group by the random number table, with 33 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with auricular point pricking-bloodletting plus auricular point sticking therapy, and the control group was treated only with auricular point sticking therapy. The treatments of both groups were performed twice a week, 4 weeks as a course of treatment, for 3 courses in total. The scores of skin lesions and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) scores were recorded before and after treatment to assess the clinical efficacy. During the trial, there were 3 cases of drop-out both in the observation group and the control group. After 3 courses of treatment, the total effective rate of the observation group was 96.7%, while that of the control group was 76.7%. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P

Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal diseases. Although acupuncture has become a common alternative therapy for IBS, there is insufficient evidence for its effectiveness. This study was designed to assess the efficacy and feasibility of acupuncture in the treatment of IBS. Methods/design This is a multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial. According to the ratio of 1:1:1, 90 patients with irritable bowel syndrome will be randomly divided into specific acupoints (SA) group, non-specific acupoints (NSA) group, and non-acupoints (NA) group. All patients will be treated with acupuncture 12 times within 4 weeks and followed up for 8 weeks. The primary outcome is the response rate, the percentage of patients whose average value of worst abdominal pain is 30% better and the days of loose stool is 50% less than the baseline, at week 4 after randomization. The secondary outcomes include the response rates at other time points, IBS Symptom Severity Scale (IBS-SSS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depression scale (PHQ-9), IBS-Quality of Life scale (IBS-QOL), IBS Adequate Relief (IBS-AR), Abdominal Pain Score, Abdominal Bloating Score, Bristol Stool Score (BBS), blinding assessment, and credibility evaluation. Adverse events will be monitored and recorded during the trial. Trial registration Chictr.org.cn ChiCTR2000030670. Registered on 9 March 2020.

To observe changes of microcirculation in the superficial regions of acupoints of the three Yin meridians of foot during the menstrual cycle in young college students, so as to provide experimental evidence for explaining the saying of traditional Chinese medicine that acupoints reflect the state of physiological and pathological activities of the internal organs.Ninety healthy female volunteer college students were recruited in the present study. The subjects were asked to take a supine position on an examination couch to expose the Yuan-primary acupoints Taixi (KI3), Taibai (SP3) and Taichong (LR3), and Xi-cleft acupoints Shuiquan (KI5), Diji (SP8) and Zhongdu (LR6) which are related to the uterus of the three Yin meridians of foot， the crossing acupoints of the three Yin meridians of foot Sanyinjiao (SP6), non-specific acupoint of the Spleen meridian Xuehai (SP10), non-related meridian acupoint Xuanzhong (GB39) and non-meridian-non-acupoint (being at the same level of GB39, between the Stomach and Gallbladder meridians on the lateral aspect of the lower leg). The laser speckle blood flow imaging technique was used to detect the state of microcirculation (average blood perfusion volume) during menstrual, follicular, ovulatory and luteal phases.The average blood perfusion volume (ABPV) of the right SP8 region was significantly lower in the menstrual phase than in the ovulation and luteal phases (The blood perfusion of microcirculation in the superficial tissues of Xi-cleft acupoints SP8 and LR6 is obviously lower in the menstrual phase than in both of the ovulation and luteal phases in healthy young college students, which may specifically reflect the periodical activities of the uterus in the physiological state, and provide a basis of acupoint selection for menstrual healthy care.

The electrical characteristics of meridians and acupoints have been being one of the hot topics discussed by scholars, because of many influencing factors and inconsistent research results. In the present article, we collected papers published in Chinese or English in recent 10 years from PubMed, CNKI, and VIP databases by using key words of"acupuncture""meridian""resistance""capacitance""electrodermal"and"impedance". Then, we make an analysis about its development from three aspects, 1) manifestations of electrical properties of acupoints (low dermal resistance under pathological state, imbalance between left and right sides of the synonym acupoints), 2) clinical application of acupoint electrical characteristics for diagnosis of clinical disorders and evaluation of therapeutic effect, and 3) current situations of development of meridian detection instruments based on electrical characteristics (improving stability of instruments，expansion of the detected regions and measuring time, realization of visualization, and operational automation). In the process of coming studies, we highly recommend that more attention should be paid to the acupoints' "dynamic changes"， and forming a standardized research plan, strengthening domestic and international academic exchanges and cooperation are definitely necessary in order to validate the objectivity and specificity of electrical characteristics of meridians and acupoints, further expanding its clinical application.

To investigate the specific regularity of body surface resistance at different acupoints of the meridians associated with the uterus in reflecting menstrual cycle by observing the change in body surface resistance at source points, cleft points, confluent points, and non-specific points of threeA total of 90 normal female college students were recruited. The source points, cleftpoints, confluent points, and non-specific points of three yin meridians of the foot which were located in the adjacent spinal segments of the uterus were selected, and body surface resistance was monitored for 30 consecutive minutes at the same time-points of menstrual phase, follicular phase, ovulation phase, and luteal phase to observe the change in the resistance of each acupoint during the menstrual cycle.There was no significant change in the resistance value of unilateral acupoints during the menstrual cycle (The change trend of the resistance of the acupoints at the left and right sides associated with the three yin meridians of the foot can specifically reflect the change in qi and blood in the uterus during the menstrual cycle. The change trend of the source and cleft points of the liver meridian in the menstrual phase is different from that in the other phases, and the change trend of SP3, a source point of the spleen meridian, in the ovulation phase is different from that in the other phases, which suggests the specificity of meridian points in reflecting function. The mechanism by which meridian points reflect the function of zang-fu is associated with the meridian points and the spinal cord segments of

Objective The aim of this multicentre randomised controlled trial was to investigate the contribution of de qi to the immediate analgesic effect of acupuncture in patients with primary dysmenorrhoea and the specific traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis cold and dampness stagnation. Method Eighty-eight patients with primary dysmenorrhoea and cold and dampness stagnation were randomly assigned to de qi (n=43) or no de qi (n=45) groups and underwent 30 min of SP6 acupuncture. The de qi group received deep needling at SP6 with manipulation using thick needles; the no de qi group received shallow needling with no manipulation using thin needles. In both groups the pain scores and actual de qi sensation were evaluated using a visual analogue scale for pain (VAS-P) and the acupuncture de qi clinical assessment scale (ADCAS), respectively. Results Both groups showed reductions in VAS-P, with no signficant differences between groups. ADCAS scores showed 43/43 and 25/45 patients in de qi and no de qi groups, respectively, actually experienced de qi sensation. Independent of original group allocation, VAS-P reductions associated with actual de qi (n=68) were greater than those without (28.4±18.19 mm vs 14.6±12.28 mm, p=0.008). Conclusions This study showed no significant difference in VAS-P scores in patients with primary dysmenorrhoea and cold and dampness stagnation immediately after SP6 acupuncture designed to induce or avoid de qi sensation. Both treatments significantly reduced VAS-P relative to baseline. Irrespective of group allocation, patients experiencing actual de qi sensation demonstrated larger reductions in pain score relative to those without, suggesting greater analgesic effects. Trial registration number Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-TRC-13003086); Results.

This study assessed the importance of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) pattern on an acupoint-specific effect.This was a TCM pattern subdivision analysis of the first intervention data from a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial (ISRCTN24863192) (the main trial).The main trial recruited participants from six hospitals in three provinces in China.Five hundred and one (501) participants diagnosed with primary dysmenorrhea (PD) were enrolled in the main trial.The main trial randomly and equally divided participants into three treatment groups with bilateral electroacupuncture at three sites, respectively: Sanyinjiao (SP6), Xuanzhong (GB39), and an adjacent nonacupoint. Participants were diagnosed with TCM patterns before the treatment. The intervention was carried out when the visual analogue scale (VAS) score of participant's menstrual pain was ≥ 40 mm on the first day of menstruation and lasted for 30 minutes.The immediate improvement of pain was measured with a 100-mm VAS before the intervention, at 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 30 minutes during the intervention, and at 30 minutes after the completion of this intervention.Three (3) TCM patterns (n=320) were eligible for analysis, including Cold and Dampness Stagnation pattern (n=184), Qi and Blood Stagnation pattern (n=84), and Qi and Blood Deficiency pattern (n=52). In Cold and Dampness Stagnation pattern, the SP6 group had a significant reduction in VAS scores compared with the GB39 group (mean difference -7.6 mm) and the nonacupoint group (mean difference -8.2 mm), respectively. There was no difference between the latter two groups. There were no group differences in VAS scores in the other two patterns.It suggested that TCM pattern might affect acupoint specific effect on the immediate pain relief obtained for participants with PD.

The aim of this multicentre randomised controlled trial was to investigate the contribution ofEighty-eight patients with primary dysmenorrhoea andBoth groups showed reductions in VAS-P, with no signficant differences between groups. ADCAS scores showed 43/43 and 25/45 patients inThis study showed no significant difference in VAS-P scores in patients with primary dysmenorrhoea andChinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-TRC-13003086); Results.

Electrical skin resistance (ESR) measurements were performed with a four-electrode impedance detector at 10 points bilaterally on the first day of and the third day after menstruation in 48 healthy volunteers and 46 primary dysmenorrhea (PD) patients, to assess whether ESR changes of acupuncture points can reflect menstrual pain or not. The results showed statistical reductions in ESR imbalance ratio between left and right side that were detected at SP8 (Diji) and GB39 (Xuanzhong) (P<0.05), and a statistical increase was detected at SP6 (Sanyinjiao) (P=0.05) on the first day of menstruation compared with those values on the third day after menstruation in dysmenorrhea group. No significant differences were detected at other points within and between two groups (P>0.05). This study showed that the imbalance of ESR at uterine-relevant points in PD patients is not significantly different from those of healthy women on both the 1st day of and the 3rd day after menstruation. The ESR imbalance ratio of certain points can either be lower or higher during menstruation in PD patients. The ESR property of acupuncture points needs to be investigated in further clinical trials with appropriate points, diseases, larger sample sizes, and optimal device.

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. Moreover, the research on the affecting factors of specificity of acupoints will be one of the major directions.

The meridian-acupoint has response function and effect function. As a direct reflection between acupoint and diseased area, the response function is the foundation of the effect function, and skin resistance of acupoint is usually used as an objective indice for research of meridian-acupoint response. Among the skin resistance-based researches on specificity of meridian-acupoint reaction, the selection of instrument is a key point. At present the main measurement instruments for meridian-acupoint resistance include dual-electrode device and four-electrode device. After analyzing the characteristics and inter-ference factors of different types of measurement instruments for meridian-acupoint resistance, dual-electrode device is suitable for qualitative analysis, for its control of interference factors needs to improve. The four-electrode device is good at quantitative research, for it is easier to control interference factors. Yet, there is more for research department to do to improve the instrument design by modern scientific technique in order to meet need for research.

To observe the effect of encircled needling plus electroacupuncture (EA) of the second pair of nipples on hyperplastic mammary glands, serum estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), prolactin (PRL) and testosterone (T) contents, estrogen receptor (ER) expression of the mammary glands in mammary hyperplasia rats.Forty Wistar rats were equally randomized into normal control, model, acupuncture and medication groups. Mammary gland hyperplasia model was established by intramuscular injection of diethylstilbestrol (0.5 mg/kg, once daily for 25 days) and progesterone (4 mg/kg, once daily for 5 days). For rats of the acupuncture group, 4 filiform needles were inserted into the surrounding tissues of the second pair of breasts, respectively, followed by giving the animal with EA stimulation for 30 min. Another one acupuncture needle was inserted into "Danzhong" (CV 17) and retained for 30 min. For rats of the medication group, tamoxifen solution (1.8 mg/kg) was given by gavage. Both medication and EA intervention were given once daily for 30 days. The diameter and height of the second pair of nipples were measured before and on the 10th, 20th and 30th days of the treatment. Serum E2, P, PRL and T levels were assayed by radioimmunoassay, and the tissues of the second pair of nipples were stained with H. E. method. Estrogen receptor immunoactivity of the breast tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry.The diameter and height of the second pair of nipples, serum E2, PRL and T contents, and breast ER protein expression level were significantly higher in the model group than in the normal control group (P0.05), while serum P content was remarkably lower in the model group than in the normal control group (P0.05). In comparison with the model group, the diameter and height of the second pair of nipples, serum E2, PRL and T contents, and breast ER protein expression level were considerably lower in both acupuncture and medication groups (P0.05), and serum P contents were significantly higher in the latter two groups (P0.05). In addition, H.E. staining showed that the numbers of the lobule, alveolus and ducts of mammary glands were significantly increased, and the expansion of the acinar lumina and ducts was found in the model group. These pathological changes were relatively milder in both acupuncture and medication groups.Encircled needling plus EA stimulation of the surrounding tissues of the nipples can improve the hyperplasic nipples and pathological changes of the breast tissue in mammary gland hyperplasia rats, which is closely associated with its functions in lowering serum estradiol, prolactin, testosterone contents and estrogen receptor protein expression of the breast, and in increasing serum progesterone level.

To observe the relationship between the cutaneous temperature of the acupoint area and the environmental temperature and humidity in healthy female undergraduate student volunteers.Forty-nine healthy female undergraduate student volunteers experiencing menstruation were enrolled in the present study. The cutaneous temperature of the acupoint region was detected for 60 min by using a "dynamic skin temperature detector" and under room temperature of (22.15 +/- 1.47) degrees C and indoor relative humidity of (50.12 +/- 4.52)%. The detected acupoints were Xuehai (SP10), Diji (SP8), Zhongdu (LR 6), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Taixi (KI 3), Taibai (SP 3), Taichong (LR 3) and Shuiquan (KI 5)which have been well documented in effectively regulating uterine activity, and Xuanzhong (GB 39) and non-meridian acupoint nearby GB 39. The skin temperature measurement was conducted on the first day of menstruation.The skin temperature levels of Xuehai (SP 10), Diji (SP 8), Zhongdu (LR 6), Xuanzhong (GB 39) and non-acupoint near GB 39 were apparently hig-her under higher temperature, showing a significant relevance between the acupoint skin temperature and room temperature (P0.05). No significant differences were found between skin temperature levels of Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Taixi (KI 3), Taibai (SP 3), Taichong (LR 3) and Shuiquan (KI 5) and the indoor temperature (P0.05), between the skin temperature difference of the bilateral isonym acupoints and the indoor temperature, and between the skin temperature difference and the indoor humidity (P0.05).The skin temperature of some acupoints is influenced by the environment temperature rather than the indoor humidity.

Based on the retrieval of literatures at home and abroad from 2000 to 2011, the evaluation indices of acupuncture clinical trials for primary dysmenorrhea (PD) were analyzed. The results indicated that in domestic area the reports were more concerned with the improvement of clinical symptoms and signs while paid less attention on the objective evaluation methodology, on the other hand, the studies abroad generally took many kinds of scales as their evaluation indices and focused on the patients' quality and activity of daily life. The authors suggeste that our clinical research, according to the designed intentions, should combine the general indicators with the specific indicators of diseases to have a more comprehensive evaluation on the effects of acupuncture for PD in clinical practice.

Acupuncture prescription is the key and effectiveness guarantee to acupuncture treatment. Proper selection of acupoint is directly related to the therapeutic effect of acupuncture. Several issues were discussesed, which were acupoint indications, clinical syndrome differentiation and acupoints selection. Acupuncturists should grasp the acupoints characteristic and pay attention to syndrome differentiation. Also they should have flexible selection of acupoints and keep pace with research updates when facing clinical problems in order to maximize the curative effect of acupuncture.

Ninety articles on electrical properties of acupoints and 38 closely related articles with the time raged from 1950s' till present were retrieved and studied from Pubmed, CNKI and VIP databases. Conclusions indicate that most of the low-resistance points or high potential points of the skin are in accordance with acupoints. However, not every acupoint shows the property of low-resistance or high potential feature. The electrical properties of acupoints vary with the physiological and pathological changes of the human body. And the electrical properties of acupoints which share the same name on the affected meridians located symmetrically on bilateral sides of the body were in a condition of imbalance. However, the result of measurement can be affected by the type of apparatus, intensity, size and number of the electrode etc. Therefore, the future study should be focused on the reaction laws of electrical properties of acupoints under physiological and pathological conditions through selection of different resistance measurement apparatus and strictly control of the impacting factors during the researching process.

To observe the effect of ginger-partitioned moxibustion in the treatment of patients with primary dysmenorrhea (PD) of cold-damp stagnation type.A total of 209 PD patients were randomized into moxibustion group (n=105) and control group (medication group, n=104). Patients of the former group were treated with ginger-partitioned moxibustion at Shenque (CV 8) and Guanyuan (CV 4), once daily for 3 days in the first menstrual cycle, and 3 days before menstruation and once daily for 6 days in the 2nd and 3rd menstrual cycles, and those of control group were asked to take Yueyueshu Granules (a Chinese herbal patent drug for relieving PD). Clinical symptom scores were assessed before and after the treatment.After the treatment, of the 105 and 104 cases in the moxibustion and control groups, the cured, markedly effective, effective and failed cases were 58 (55.24%) and 32 (30.77%), 37 (35.24%) and 33 (31.73%), 5 (4.76%) and 24 (23.08%), and 5 (4.76%) and 15 (14.42%), respectively. The total therapeutic effect of moxibustion group wassignificantly better than that of control group (P0.01). The effects of moxibustion for relieving mild, moderate and severe dysmenorrhea were evidently superior to those of medication (P0.01). The symptom scores after the treatment and 3 months of post-treatment in moxibustion group were significantly lower than those of control group (P0.01).Ginger-partitioned moxibustion therapy was effective for PD of cold-damp stagnation type.

To explore the mechanism of ginger-partitioned moxibustion in the treatment of cold-damp stagnation type primary dysmenorrhea (PD) patients.A total of 209 PD outpatients of cold-damp stagnation type from 3 hospitals were randomized into moxibustion group (n = 105) who were treated with ginger-partitioned moxibustion, and control group (n = 104) who were asked to take Yueyue Shu Granules (an effective patent drug for PD). Ginger-partitioned moxibustion was applied to Shenque (CV 8) and Guanyuan (CV 4) from the menstrual onset on for the first course and 3 days before the onset for the second and third course, continuously for 3 days. Before and after the treatment, plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) and serum nitric oxide (NO) contents in those patients (n = 40/group) and normal women (n = 20) experiencing menstrual period were determined by radioimmunoassay and nitrate reductase method.After the treatment, of the 105 and 104 cases in moxibustion and control groups, 58 and 32 cured, 37 and 33 markedly effective, 5 and 24 effective, 5 and 15 failed, with the effective rates being 95.24% and 85.58% respectively. The therapeutic effect of moxibustion group was significantly better than that of control group (P0.05). Before treatment, in comparison with normal group, plasma ET-1 contents in both moxibustion and control groups were significantly higher (P0.01), while serum NO contents in these two groups markedly lower (P0.01). After the treatment, self-comparison of both moxibustion and control groups showed that plasma ET-1 decreased significantly and serum NO levels in increased considerably (P0.05, P0.01), and the therapeutic effect of moxibustion group was markedly superior than that of control group in lowering plasma ET-1 (P0.01).Ginger-partitioned moxibustion is effective in relieving primary dysmenorrhea patients' abdominal pain, which may be closely associated with its actions in lowering plasma ET-1 level and raising serum NO contents.

To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on hippocampal apoptosis and learning-memory ability in vascular dementia (VD) mice so as to investigate its underlying mechanism in the treatment of VD patients.Kunming mice were randomly divided into sham-operation (sham, n = 13), model (n = 15), EA (n = 16) and Nimodipine (intragastric gavage, 30 mg/kg for 15 days, n = 15) groups. VD model was duplicated by occlusion of bilateral carotid arteries and reperfusion. EA (2-80 Hz, 2 mA) was applied to "Dazhui" (GV 14), "Baihui" (GV 20), "Geshu" (BL 17) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) for 10 min, once daily for 15 days. Step-down and step-up tests were performed to assess the animal's memory and learning abilities separately; and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method was used to display the apoptotic cells of the hippocampus tissue.In comparison with sham group, the animals' reaction time upon electric shock stimulation, both step-up and step-down error times, and hippocampal apoptosis number in model, EA and Nimodipine groups increased significantly (P0.01), while the reaction latency upon electric shock of model, EA and Nimodipine groups decreased significantly (P0.01). Compared with model group, the reaction time, both step-up and step-down error times and hippocampal apoptosis number of both EA and Nimodipine groups decreased significantly (P0.05, P0.01); while the reaction latency of EA and Nimodipine groups increased considerably (P0.01). Comparison between EA and Nimodipine groups showed that the reaction latency of EA group was obviously longer than that of the later group (P0.01), and the step-down error times of EA group was markedly lower than that of Nimodipine group (P0.05). No significant differences were found between these two groups in other indexes (P0.05).EA can ameliorate VD mice's learning-memory ability, which may be closely related to its effect in reducing hippocampal apoptosis.

To probe into the mechanism of substance-partitioned moxibustion in treatment of primary dysmenorrhea (PD) of cold-damp stagnation type.The treatment group (105 cases of PD) were treated with substance-partitioned moxibustion and the control group (104 cases) were treated with Chinese drug Yueyue-shu. Their therapeutic effects were observed. Plasma beta-endorphin contents in menstrual period were determined before and after treatment in 40 patients of each group.The total effective rate of 95.2% in the substance partitioned moxibustion group was better than 85.6% in the control group (P0.05); after treatment, plasma beta-endorphin content significantly increased in the substance-partitioned moxibustion group (P0.01).Substance-partitioned moxibustion has obvious therapeutic effect on primary dysmenorrhea of cold-damp stagnation type, which is carried out possibly through regulating the plasma beta-endorphin content as one of the mechanisms.

To explore mechanisms of acupuncture for reducing of body weight.The rat obesity model was developed by subcutaneous injection of sodium glutamate solution, and the experimental rats were divided into a blank control group, a model group, an electroacupuncture group and a sibutramine group; blood TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C contents and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity, and serum leptin and insulin levels were determined.The body weight and Lee's index, and TG, TC and LDL-C contents in the electroacupuncture group decreased significantly as compared with those in the model group (all P0.01), the actions in the electroacupuncture group being superior to those in the sibutramine group; the HDL-C contents in both the electroacupuncture and the sibutramine groups were higher than that of the model group (P0.01) with no significant difference between the electroacupuncture group and the sibutramine group; LPL activity in the electroacupuncture group increased significantly as compared with that in the model group (P0.01); serum leptin and insulin levels in both the electroacupuncture group and the sibutramine group were lower than that in the model group (P0.05, P0.01), with no significant difference between the electroacupuncture group and the sibutramine group in the effect on insulin content, and the decrease of leptin level in the electroacupuncture group was more as compared with the sibutramine group (P0.01).Electroacupuncture can improve the status of high blood lipids, increase lipoprotein lipase activity, and regulate serum leptin and insulin levels in the obestic rat.