Effect of acupuncture along affected meridian on the MME gene expression of migraine patients without aura of gan-yang hyperactivity syndrome / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of acupuncture along affected meridian on the mem- brane metallo-endopeptidase (MME) gene expression of migraine patients without aura (MO) of Gan-yang hyperactivity syndrome (GYHS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 20 MO patients of GYHS were randomly assigned to the acupoint group (acupuncture along affected meridian) and the non-acupoint group, 10 cases in each group. Needling was performed once per day for 10 consecutive days. Gene chip technology was used to obtain two sets of gene expression profiles and analyzed using Gene Ontology (GO).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the acupoint group, MME gene expression decreased after needling (P = 0.0023).That gene was rich in the beta-amyloid metabolic process (P = 3.16E-05) and the peptide metabolic process (P = 0.009612). Its expression was not seen in the non-acupoint group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The effect of point selection along affected meridian could be achieved possibly by regulating the MME gene expression.</p>

Effect of acupuncture on quality of life in post-ischemic stroke patients with dysphagia / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of acupuncture on quality of life (QOL) in post-ischemic stroke patients with dysphagia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-six patients with dysphagia were randomly assigned to 3 groups, the 23 patients in the electro-acupuncture (EA) group treated by EA, 18 in the control group received rehabilitation training combined with acupoint percutaneous electric stimulation, and 25 in the acupoint token puncturing (TP) group received rehabilitation training combined with acupoint TP, once every day for 20 days in total. Changes in QOL scale specified for dysphagia of patients before and after treatment were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate was 69.6% in the EA group, 50.0% in the control group and 64.0% in the TP group with insignificant difference among them (P > 0.05), but the improvements dealing with patients' general condition, time for taking food, frequency of uneasiness, emotion, appetite, social intercourse ability, fatigue, sleep and mental health, etc. in the EA group were superior to those in the other two groups (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture could improve the QOL of patients with dysphagia after ischemic stroke.</p>