High-Tech Acupuncture for Prevention of Lifestyle Diseases-A Sino-Austrian Cooperation Research Protocol on Heart Rate Variability.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture can not only be used for well-known diseases, but also for so-called modern lifestyle-related diseases. Using innovative methods like e.g. new analyses of heart rate variability (HRV), it is also possible to investigate diseases like burnout syndrome, ie., qi deficiency in Chinese medicine (CM). OBJECTIVE: The main object of this research protocol is to perform research on the relationship of burnout syndrome and heart rate (HR) and HRV. METHODS: A total of 175 patients with burnout syndrome (qi deficiency syndrome) in five groups and 35 healthy volunteers will be investigated. Based on random numbers generated by computer and concealed in opaque envelops, the patients will be assigned to four acupuncture groups using Zusanli (ST 36) acupuncture stimulation, Guanyuan (CV4) acupuncture stimulation, both points, and both points with Streitberger device respectively, and a moxibustion group using both points mentioned above, with 35 cases in each group. Altogether four different experiments are planned. Experiment 1 includes 70 subjects and is a comparison between a burnout group and a control group (healthy volunteers). The evaluation parameters are different scores and indices of HR and HRV. Experiment 2 includes 140 subjects and compares the efficacy of different acupuncture points. In experiment 3 (105 subjects), acupuncture and moxibustion should be compared to healthy volunteers. Experiment 4 (70 subjects) investigates the long-term therapeutic effects of acupuncture and moxibustion on the scores of qi deficiency and HR/HRV in qi deficiency patients. In both the acupuncture and moxibustion groups, a total of 10 treatments will be performed. CONCLUSIONS: The joint research aims at the scientific evaluation of CM, mainly in the field of HRV. This parameter could be a very good indicator of the state of health and can be inflfluenced by different acupuncture methods, as shown in the past.

[Differences of acupuncture and moxibustion on heart rate variability in qi-deficiency syndrome:a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the improvement of acupuncture and moxibustion on symptoms of qi-deficiency syndrome as well as their differences on the parameters of heart rate variability (HRV). METHODS: Thirty patients with qi-deficiency syndrome and 15 healthy volunteers were recruited. Thirty patients with qi-deficiency syndrome were randomly assigned into an acupuncture group and a moxibustion group, 15 cases in each one. Fifteen healthy volunteers were allocated as a healthy control group. Patients in the acupuncture group and healthy control group were treated with acupuncture while patients in the moxibustion group were treated with moxibustion. Guanyuan (CV 4) and Zusanli (ST 36) were chosen for treatment, once every other day, for totally 10 times. All the patients were evaluated with qi-deficiency assessment scale (QDAS) and HRV parameters before treatment, after 4th treatment and after all treatment. The correlation was analyzed between QDAS and HRV parameters, and HRV parameters were compared among the three groups before treatment, after 4th treatment and after all treatment. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the scores of QDAS were decreased in the acupuncture group and the moxibustion group after 4th treatment and after all treatment (all P<0.05); after all treatment the score of QDAS in the moxibustion group was lower than that in the acupuncture group (P<0.05). The HRV parameters of qi-deficiency syndrome were significantly lower than those of healthy volunteers with higher correlation with QDAS. Compared before treatment, the mean heart rate was decreased after treatment (P<0.05), while total HRV and low frequency were increased in the moxibustion group (both P<0.05). The mean heart rate in the healthy control group was increased after treatment (P<0.05). The differences of HRV parameters before and after treatment were not significant in the acupuncture group (all P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Total HRV can reflect the severity of qi-deficiency syndrome. Both acupuncture and moxibustion can improve symptoms of qi-deficiency patients, which is superior in moxibustion. The possible mechanism is likely to be related with improved sustainable activation of autonomic nervous system.

Acupotomy versus sodium hyaluronate for treatment of knee osteoarthritis in rabbits.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible advantages of acupotomy over sodium hyaluronate injection for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: Twenty rabbits were divided randomly into four groups (n = 5 in each): a control group, model group, acupotomy group, and sodium hyaluronate injection group. The model, acupotomy, and sodium hyaluronate groups underwent anterior cruciate ligament transection plus partial medial meniscectomy. Sodium hyaluronate injection and acupotomy were administered to the respective groups from weeks 5 to 8, and samples of the tibial plateau and medial condyle of the femur were collected in week 9. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was assessed in cartilage and subchondral bone by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Articular cartilage degeneration was less pronounced in the acupotomy compared with the model and sodium hyaluronate groups. VEGF expression levels in cartilage and subchondral bone were increased in the model group compared with the control group (P < 0.01), and acupotomy had a more pronounced therapeutic effect than sodium hyaluronate injection (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Acupotomy and sodium hyaluronate injection may both reduce degeneration in the cartilage and subchondral bone in KOA based on the results from a rabbit model, but acupotomy improved the histopathology and reduced the VEGF content more effectively than sodium hyaluronate injection, probably by reducing venous stasis and intraosseous pressure. Acupotomy may improve KOA by lowering VEGF.