Short-term complementary and alternative medicine on quality of life in women with fibromyalgia.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia (FMS) is a syndrome characterized by chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain, whose etiology is not completely understood. Different therapeutic approaches have been used with inconsistent results. This observation does not invalidate the continued search for alternative treatments aimed at improving quality of life (QoL) in FMS. OBJECTIVE: This study compared three classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapies: acupuncture (AC), electroacupuncture (EAC) and moxibustion (MX) in the management of pain and promotion of QoL in FMS patients. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: A preliminary, group-assigned, comparative study enrolled 30 women, mean age (46.90±9.24) years (range 20-60 years), who met the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria for FMS diagnosis and a pain-pressure threshold (PPT) < 4 kg/cm(2). The study was conducted in a teaching tertiary-care medical institution from May 2010 through April 2012. AC, EAC and MX were delivered for 30 min, once a week, for 8 weeks, bilaterally at Neiguan (PC6), Hegu (LI4), Yanglingquan (GB34), Sanyinjiao (SP6) and Taichong (LR3) acupoints. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Each week, immediately before treatment and after treatment, subjects were tested for PPTs, Wong-Baker Faces Pain Scale (WBFPS; for pain intensity) and Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36: for QoL). RESULTS: There was no significant improvement in pain or reduction of tender points in any of the groups studied, at the end of the 8th session. Significant improvement of QoL was perceived in vitality (after AC treatment) and in mental health (after EAC and MX treatments). CONCLUSION: TCM therapies (AC, EAC and MX) promoted an improvement in the QoL in two areas (vitality and mental health) in FMS women. Further large-scale clinical trials are required to confirm this effect.

Electroacupuncture attenuates liver and kidney oxidative stress in anesthetized rats.

PURPOSE: Investigate the effects of a single electroacupuncture (EA) session at acupoints Zusanli (ST-36) and Zhongwan (CV-12) combined in regulating oxidative stress in liver and kidney in anesthetized rats. METHODS: Eighteen healthy rats randomly assigned to 3 groups (n=6) were anesthetized intraperitoneally with ketamine (90 mg kg-1 body weight) + xylazine (10mg/kg body weight): G-1: Control (anesthesia), G-2: anesthesia+EA10 Hz and 10 mA, 10 Hz) applied to right ST-36 and CV-12 acupoints for 30 minutes. G-3 was likewise treated, using a tenfold higher frequency (100 Hz). G6PDH activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels were assayed spectrophotometrically. RESULTS: Liver MDA and GSH concentrations increased significantly in rats submitted to EA 10Hz (p<0.01) and EA 100 Hz (p<0.001), compared with control G-1. Liver and kidney G6GPH activity decreased significantly in G-2 (p<0.01) and G-3 (p<0.001) compared with G-1 in EA100 Hz rats. A similar pattern was found in kidney G6PDH activity in EA10 Hz rats. CONCLUSION: Single 30-minute EA 10/100 Hz session enhances lipid peroxidation and simultaneously reduces oxidative stress in liver and kidney tissues in a rat model.

Electroacupuncture attenuates liver and kidney oxidative stress in anesthetized rats / Eletroacupuntura atenua o estresse oxidativo no fígado e no rim em ratos anestesiados

PURPOSE: Investigate the effects of a single electroacupuncture (EA) session at acupoints Zusanli (ST-36) and Zhongwan (CV-12) combined in regulating oxidative stress in liver and kidney in anesthetized rats. METHODS: Eighteen healthy rats randomly assigned to 3 groups (n=6) were anesthetized intraperitoneally with ketamine (90mg kg-1 body weight) + xylazine (10mg/kg body weight): G-1: Control (anesthesia), G-2: anesthesia+EA10Hz and 10 mA, 10 Hz) applied to right ST-36 and CV-12 acupoints for 30 minutes. G-3 was likewise treated, using a tenfold higher frequency (100 Hz). G6PDH activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels were assayed spectrophotometrically. RESULTS: Liver MDA and GSH concentrations increased significantly in rats submitted to EA 10Hz (p<0.01) and EA 100Hz (p<0.001), compared with control G-1. Liver and kidney G6GPH activity decreased significantly in G-2 (p<0.01) and G-3 (p<0.001) compared with G-1 in EA100Hz rats. A similar pattern was found in kidney G6PDH activity in EA10Hz rats. CONCLUSION: Single 30-minute EA 10/100Hz session enhances lipid peroxidation and simultaneously reduces oxidative stress in liver and kidney tissues in a rat model.

OBJETIVO: Investigar os efeitos de uma única sessão de eletroacupuntura (EA) aplicada nos acupontos Zusanli (E-36) e Zhongwan (RM-12) simultaneamente, na regulação do estresse oxidativo no fígado e rins em ratos anestesiados. MÉTODOS: Dezoito ratos sadios, distribuídos aleatoriamente em três grupos (n = 6), foram anestesiados com cetamina (90mg/kg de peso) + xilazina (10mg/kg de peso): G-1: Controle (anestesia), G-2: anestesia + EA10Hz e G-3: anestesia + EA100Hz. Os ratos do grupo G-2 foram submetidos à EA (ondas quadradas pulsadas, 10 mA, 10 Hz) aplicada aos acupontos ST-36 direito e VC-12 por 30 minutos. Nos ratos do grupo G-3 utilizou-se uma freqüência dez vezes maior (100 Hz). A atividade da enzima G6PDH e as concentrações de malondialdeído (MDA) e glutationa (GSH) foram verificadas por espectrofotometria. RESULTADOS: As concentrações hepáticas de MDA e GSH aumentaram significativamente nos ratos submetidos à EA, utilizando 10Hz (p <0,01) e 100Hz (p <0,001), comparado com o controle. A atividade de G6GPH diminuiu significativamente no G-2 (p <0,01) e G-3 (p <0,001) no fígado e no rim em comparação ao grupo G-1 em ratos tratados com 100Hz. CONCLUSÃO: Uma única sessão de EA 10/100Hz por 30 minutos aumenta a peroxidação lipídica e simultaneamente reduz o estresse oxidativo no fígado e no rim de ratos sadios.