[Application and thinking of acupuncture therapy in comprehensive management of hypertension].

The theory of disease prevention with traditional Chinese medicine is introduced into the prevention of chronic diseases such as hypertension. In order to fully implement the advantages of acupuncture, the three-level prevention strategy is strengthened on the whole-process intervention with acupuncture for hypertension, including prevention before disease onset, starting intervention at the early phase, and prevention disease from exacerbating. Moreover, the comprehensive management scheme, multidisciplinary coordination and participation mechanism are investigated in the field of traditional Chinese medicine for preventive treatment of hypertension.

[Acupuncture as adjuvant therapy for 32 cases of coronavirus disease 2019].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on the conventional treatment. METHODS: A total of 35 patients with COVID-19 of mild or ordinary type were involved (3 cases dropped off). Acupuncture was applied on the basis of western medicine and Chinese materia medica treatment. Dazhui (GV 14), Fengchi (GB 20), Kongzui (LU 6), Hegu (LI 4), etc. were selected as the main acupoints, the supplementary acupoints and the reinforcing and reducing manipulations were selected according to syndrome differentiation. Acupuncture treatment was given once a day, 5 times a week. On day 3 and day 7 of acupuncture, relief condition of the main symptoms was observed. Before acupuncture and on day 3 and day 7 of acupuncture, efficacy evaluation scale of TCM on COVID-19 (efficacy evaluation scale) score was recorded. The effects of different intervention time of acupuncture on patients' hospitalization time were compared, the understanding of acupuncture treatment of patients discharged from hospital was recorded, the clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment were evaluated. RESULTS: On day 3 and day 7 of acupuncture, the symptoms of lung system and non lung system were both relieved; the scores of efficacy evaluation scale were both decreased compared before acupuncture (P<0.05), and the efficacy evaluation scale score of day 7 of acupuncture were lower than day 3 of acupuncture (P<0.05). The average hospitalization time of patients received early acupuncture was shorter than late acupuncture (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 84.4% (27/32) on day 7 of acupuncture, which was higher than 34.4% (11/32) on day 3 of acupuncture (P<0.05). During the acupuncture treatment, there were neither adverse reactions in patients nor occupational exposures in doctors. The patients generally believed that acupuncture could promote the recovery of COVID-19 and recommended acupuncture treatment. CONCLUSION: On the basis of the conventional treatment, acupuncture can effectively relieve the clinical symptoms in patients with COVID-19, early intervention of acupuncture can accelerate the recovery process. Acupuncture has good safety, clinical compliance and recognition of patients.

[Effect of fire-needle intervention on joint function, cartilage impairment and inflammatory response in knee osteoarthritis rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of fire-needle stimulation of "Neixiyan"(EX-LE4) and "Dubi"(ST35) on changes of motor function, structure of cartilage degradation and inflammatory factors in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) rats, so as to explore its underlying mechanisms in improving KOA. METHODS: Thirty-nine male SD rats were randomly divided into normal, model and fire-needle groups (n＝13 in each group). The KOA model was established by injection of Monoiodoacetate (MIA, 1 mg) into the lumen of the right knee joint. On the 7th day after successful modeling, fire-needle was applied to EX-LE4 and ST35, twice a week for 3 weeks. The rats' behavioral reactions of gait (0 to 3 points) and claw pressure (0 to 3 points) were scored, and histopathological changes scored by assessing the impairment grade (0 to 6) and stage (0 to 4) of the articular cartilage after safranin O-fast green staining. The contents of serum Interleukin (IL)-1α， Tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α), IL-10, IL-37 and transforming growth factor ß(TGF-ß) were assayed by ELISA, and ultrastructural changes were observed under transmission electron microscope(TEM). RESULTS: After modeling, the gait and claw-pressure scores were significantly increased in the model group in comparison with the normal group (P<0.05), and the OA score and contents of serum IL-1α and TNF-α were also appa-rently increased in the model group relevant to the normal group (P<0.05，P<0.01), while the levels of serum IL-10, IL-37 and TGF-ß remarkably decreased in the model group in contrast to the normal group (P<0.01). After the intervention, the increase of gait and claw-pressure and OA scores, as well as serum IL-1α and TNF-α contents, and the decrease of serum IL-10, IL-37 and TGF-ß levels were all reversed in the fire needle group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Outcomes of TEM showed more and larger lipid droplets, swollen mitochondria with some vacuoles, and expanded, broken or dissolved rough endoplasmic reticulum in the model group, which was milder in the fire-needle group. CONCLUSION: Fire-needle can improve motor function and relieve impairment of articular cartilage of KOA rats, which may be related to its effects in reducing inflammatory factors and in increasing anti-inflammatory factor levels.