Safety and efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic review protocol

Peripheral mast cells derive the effects of acupuncture in Parkinson's disease

This research investigates the peripheral mechanisms of acupuncture in treating Parkinson's disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by motor impairments. While the central mechanisms of acupuncture have been extensively studied, our focus lies in the peripheral mechanisms at the acupoints, the sites of acupuncture signal initiation. Employing a PD model, we analyzed the local responses to acupuncture stimulation at these points. Our key finding was a significant elevation in both the number and activity of mast cells (MCs) in the peripheral tissues following acupuncture. Intriguingly, pre-treatment with an MC stabilizer diminished the acupuncture's therapeutic effects on PD symptoms. Similarly, local anesthesia with lidocaine at the acupoints attenuated the symptom improvement typically observed with acupuncture. Meanwhile, the augmentation of MC activity induced by acupuncture was significantly impeded by cromolyn, an MC stabilizer, but remained unaffected by lidocaine. This finding suggests that MC activity is a more upstream regulator of acupuncture effects compared to nerve conduction. This study provides groundbreaking insights into the initiation and transmission of acupuncture signals, highlighting the significant role of peripheral MC modulation in PD treatment.

A Prognostic Model for the Respiratory Function of Patients with Nonsevere Pulmonary Infection Based on Breathing Exercises and Acupuncture Therapy: Development and Validation

Objective. In this study, a prognostic model for the respiratory function was constructed based on the treatment methods of patients with nonsevere pulmonary infection, aiming to provide a reference for clinical decision-making. Method. A total of 500 patients with nonsevere pulmonary infection were included in this study. The patients were randomized into training set ( $n=350$ ) and validation set ( $n=150$ ), and the baseline characteristics were collected. All patients received breathing exercises or breathing exercises combined with acupuncture therapy for 3 months, and then the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) was assessed. Next, an ordinal multinomial logistic regression model was used to analyze prognostic factors affecting respiratory function of patients with nonsevere pulmonary infection. The Test of Parallel Lines was used to determine the accuracy (ACC) of the model and screen the influencing factors. The confusion matrix was drawn, and the ACC and harmonic mean (F1 score) were calculated to evaluate the feasibility of the model results. Results. Results of the ordinal multinomial logistic regression model showed that age ( $P=0.000$ ), treatment method ( $P=0.000$ ), underlying diseases ( $P<0.001$ ), and sex ( $P=0.389$ ) were independent factors affecting the respiratory function of patients in the training set. The ACC value of the training set was 88.86%, and that of the validation set was 91.33%, indicating a high accuracy and favorable predictive ability of the model. Besides, the F1 score was 62.38%, indicating a high reliability of the model. Conclusion. The prognostic model for respiratory function of patients with nonsevere pulmonary infection constructed in this study had favorable predictive performance, which is of great significance in the clinical nursing and treatment of patients with pulmonary infection.

Potential impacts of Acu-TENS in the treatment of adolescents with moderate to severe bronchial asthma: A randomized clinical study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation over the acupuncture points (Acu-TENS) on total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE_total), pulmonary function, and quality of life in adolescents with asthma.

METHODS

In a double-blind randomized clinical trial, 32 adolescents (age; 12-16 years) with asthma participated and were assigned randomly to receive either the breathing retraining program (control group) or the breathing retraining program plus Acu-TENS application (Acu-TENS group). Acu-TENS was applied for 40 min' day-after-day session for two successive months, with no side-effects reported. Serum IgE_total, pulmonary function [forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV₁), and FEV₁/FVC], and quality of life were evaluated pre- and post-treatment.

RESULTS

Serum IgE_total (P = 0.028, η_p² = 0.15), Pulmonary function [FVC (P = 0.043, η_p² = 0.13), FEV₁ (P = .046, η_p² = 0.12)], and quality of life (P < .001, η_p² = 0.17) increased significantly in the Acu-TENS group when compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that the Acu-TENS is an impending asthma treatment that may be used to reinforce the immune system response, ameliorate lung function, and increase the quality of life in adolescents with asthma.

The research of Tuna Huichun Gong on pulmonary function, exercise tolerance, and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease based on the concept of early pulmonary rehabilitation

INTRODUCTION

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common high-burden and highly disabling lung disease. The quality of life and exercise endurance of patients with COPD is often low because of atrophy of the respiratory and skeletal muscles. Although recommended by the global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease guidelines, pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has not been used widely because of its inherent limitations. Tuna-Hui-Chun-Gong (TNHCG) is a popular traditional exercise used to treat COPD in China. We aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TNHCG for PR of COPD.

METHODS

The provided protocol is for a single-blind randomized controlled trial in which 120 COPD patients will be randomly and equally divided into the experimental or control group. The control group will be treated with standard COPD drugs while the experimental group will perform TNHCG exercises apart from standard drug treatment. The duration of treatment will be 24 weeks and a follow-up for 48 weeks. The primary outcome will be the 6-Minute Walk Test. The secondary outcomes will include the pulmonary function test, St George's respiratory questionnaire, COPD assessment test, modified medical research council dyspnea scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and exacerbation frequency. A safety assessment will also be performed during the trial.

DISCUSSION

Our study will provide evidence to support TNHCG exercise as an additional measure for PR of COPD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ChiCTR1900028332, Registered December 29, 2019.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval has been granted by the Sichuan Traditional Chinese Medicine Regional Ethics Review Committee (No. 2019KL-050).

The effect of acupuncture on tumor growth and gut microbiota in mice inoculated with osteosarcoma cells

BACKGROUND

Cancer is a complex systemic disease. As a key component of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is a clinically proven medical treatment for many diseases, and it also has preventative effects as it balances the body, allowing it to self-regulate. For cancer patients, acupuncture is widely used as complementary therapy to boost the immune system and reduce the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, few studies have determined how acupuncture against cancer, especially in regulating the intestinal flora of the tumor-burdened mice.

METHODS

We treated osteosarcoma tumor-burdened mice by using needling on different acupoints and acupoints combination, thereafter determined the effects of acupuncture on tumor growth by using imaging technology in vitro. In addition, intestinal bacteria were analyzed for further understanding the holistic and systemic treatment effects of acupuncture in osteosarcoma tumor-burdened mice.

RESULTS

Acupuncture treatment can delay tumor growth and changes of intestinal bacteria in osteosarcoma tumor-burdened mice. In detail, the loss of body weight and the development of tumor volume of mice have been postposed by needling specific acupoints. In addition, acupuncture treatment has delayed the changes of the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Candidatus Saccharibacteria at the phylum level. Moreover, the relative abundance of many bacteria (e.g., Catabacter, Acetatifactor and Aestuariispira) has been regulated by using acupuncture treatment, and the trend of structural changes of these bacteria at the genus level has also been postposed compared to that of the tumor-burdened mice model group.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that acupuncture may provide a systemic treatment for cancer. Our findings encourage new and extensive research into the effects of acupuncture on changes of the intestinal microbiome associated with the development of cancer.