Effectiveness and Safety of Acupoint Application of Guan Xin Su He Pill () for Patients with Chronic Stable Angina Pectoris: A Multi-Center, Randomized Controlled Trial

The use of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation to reduce opioid consumption in patients undergoing off-pump CABG: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

High doses of long-acting opioids were used to facilitate off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting procedure, which may result in opioid-related adverse events after surgery. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) had been reported to be effective in reducing intraoperative opioids consumption during surgery. The aim of this study is to assess whether TEAS with difference acupoints can reduce the doses of opioid analgesics.

METHODS

This was a multicenter, randomized, controlled, double-blind trial. Patients underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting under general anesthesia were enrolled. Eligible patients were randomly and equally grouped into sham acupuncture group (n = 105), regional acupoints combination group (n = 105), or distal-proximal acupoints combination group (n = 105) using a centralized computer-generated randomization system. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation was applied for 30 min before anesthesia induction. The primary outcome was the doses of sufentanil during anesthesia. Secondary outcomes included the highest postoperative vasoactive-inotropic scores within 24 h, intraoperative propofol consumption, length of mechanical ventilation, duration of cardiac care unit and postoperative hospital stay, incidence of postoperative complications, and mortality within 30 days after surgery.

RESULTS

Of the 315 randomized patients, 313 completed the trial. In the modified intention-to-treat analysis, the doses of sufentanil were 303.9 (10.8) μg in the distal-proximal acupoints group, significantly lower than the sham group, and the mean difference was - 34.9 (- 64.9 to - 4.9) μg, p = 0.023. The consumption of sufentanil was lower in distal-proximal group than regional group (303.9 vs. 339.5), and mean difference was - 35.5 (- 65.6 to - 5.5) μg, p = 0.020. The distal-proximal group showed 10% reduction in opioids consumption comparing to both regional and sham groups. Secondary outcomes were comparable among three groups.

CONCLUSION

Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation with distal-proximal acupoints combination, compared to regional acupoints combination and sham acupuncture, significantly reduced sufentanil consumption in patients who underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.

Electroacupuncture at BL15 attenuates chronic fatigue syndrome by downregulating iNOS/NO signaling in C57BL/6 mice

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has a high incidence due to the increased pressure of daily life and work in modern society. Our previous clinical studies have found the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on CFS patients, however, the mechanism of EA on CFS is still unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of EA on cardiac function in a CFS mouse model to explore its underlying mechanism. The mice were randomly divided into three groups: control, CFS, and CFS mice receiving EA (CFS + EA). After behavioral assessments and echocardiographic measurement, blood and heart tissue of the mice were collected for biochemical tests, and then we evaluated the effects of EA on the CFS mouse model when nitric oxide (NO) levels were enhanced by l-arginine. The results showed that EA ameliorated the injured motor and cardiac function. Meanwhile, EA also inhibited increased expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) at heart tissue and the serum NO levels in mice subjected to sustained forced swimming stress. Furthermore, the NO level in serum increased with l-arginine administration, which blocked the effects of EA on CFS mice. This study suggested that EA could improve the motor function and cardiac function in CFS mice and its effects may be associated with the down-regulation of iNOS/NO signaling.

Traditional Chinese medicine paraffin therapy: an evidence-based overview from a modern medicine perspective

External therapy of traditional Chinese medicine and paraffin therapy are both traditional Chinese forms of treatment. In recent years, external use of traditional Chinese medicine combined with paraffin therapy, which involves combining meridians, acupoints, drugs, and hyperthermia, has demonstrated great effectiveness in treating certain conditions. An overview of traditional Chinese medicine paraffin therapy (TCMPT) is provided by this article. Additionally, this article describes a new classification of TCMPT, mechanism of action, clinical treatment, indications contraindications and adverse events reports.