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Research Archive

Welcome to our Chinese medicine and acupuncture research news pages. We add to the content of these pages continuously as more research news comes in. Browse through the complete archive below or use the category links on the right.

Please note that the most twenty recent research archive items are free to view but access to the thousands of items in the archive require a journal subscription.

Devil's dung fights swine flu

Categories: Herb research, Fever/infectious diseases

Antiviral compounds extracted from the foul-smelling herb Ferula assafoetida (Chinese name: A Wei, aka Devil's Dung) show greater activity against the H1N1 swine flu virus than the drug amantadine. Taiwanese scientists found that the roots of the plant, used as a remedy during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, contain nine phytochemicals that show more potent cytotoxic activity against the H1N1 influ ...

HUANG LIAN'S ANTI-CANCER EFFECTS

Categories: Cancer, Herb research

A review paper from Hong Kong traces the use of Huang Lian (Coptidis rhizoma) from traditional Chinese medicine (CM) to recent pharmacological studies of Huang Lian and its major component, berberine. The modern discovery of anti-cancer effects for Huang Lian and berberine are strongly linked with the traditional concepts and rules for using Huang Lian in CM practice. From a traditional standpoint ...

CHEN PI HAS ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES

Categories: Herb research

Chen Pi (dried tangerine peel) exhibits strong antioxidant and free radical-scavenging activities, which are due to its high content of ascorbic acid and citric acid. Japanese biochemists prepared water and ethanol extracts of Chen Pi and examined their antioxidant and radical-scavenging properties. These properties may help explain the therapeutic effects of Chen Pi. (Potent antioxidant and radic ...

NANOFIBRES EXPLAIN HEALING PROPERTIES OF YUNNAN BAIYAO

Categories: Herb research

American scientists using atomic force microscopy (AFM) have discovered nano-scale fibres in Yunnan Baiyao, the traditional Chinese herbal medicine used to treat wounds. AFM images revealed an abundance of uniform nanofibres, about 25nm in diameter and 86-726nm in length, in a solution of Yunnan Baiyao powder. The authors suggest that the unique adhesive and structural properties of nanofibres may ...

Chinese medicines effective against hepatitis b

Categories: Miscellaneous disorders

A systematic review by Chinese authors has concluded that traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) seem to be effective for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Their meta-analysis showed that TCMs had a greater beneficial effect than interferon (IFN) and a slightly better effect than lamivudine (LAM) on normalisation of levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (the liver enzyme most commonly used as an indicat ...

Herbs as good as hormone therapy for menopause depression

Categories: Menopausal syndrome, Psychological / emotional

The Chinese herbal formula Geng Nian Le (GNL) can relieve the symptoms of perimenopausal depression and regulate women's hormone levels. Chinese scientists randomised 47 women to either a GNL group or a control group that received tibolone (a synthetic steroid hormone). After 12 weeks of treatment the depression scores in both groups decreased significantly, with no significant difference between ...

HUANG QI IMPROVES CANCER ANOREXIA

Categories: Cancer

A phase II clinical study carried out in Korea has found that a herbal decoction containing Huang Qi (Astragali membranaceus radix) can improve appetite and body weight in patients with advanced cancer. Anorexia leads to significant weight loss and eventually reduces survival in cancer patients. Korean clinicians administered the herbal decoction to eleven severely anorexic patients 30 minutes aft ...

HERB FORMULA MODERATES RISK-TAKING

Categories: Psychological / emotional

A Chinese medical formula designed to regulate impulsiveness has measurable effects on brain regions involved in risk-taking decision making. The fMRI study carried out in Hong Kong examined the neural correlates of the observed improvement in risk-taking behavior, following a 60-day course of a TCM formula specifically designed to regulate impulsiveness. Fourteen participants were randomly assign ...

INFERTILE WOMEN THINK ACUPUNCTURE HELPS

Categories: Infertility

Acupuncture is perceived by infertile women to have a positive impact on their health. An Australian pilot study investigated the experience of eight infertile women who had attended a minimum of four acupuncture sessions with the intention of improving their fertility. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered and analysed using descriptive content analysis. Four major categories of percep ...

Acupuncture for spinal injury mobilises stem cells

Categories: Miscellaneous disorders, Back

Acupuncture for spinal cord injuries (SCI) can mobilise human stem cells, according to German research. Fourteen healthy volunteers were needled at acupuncture points used in the treatment of SCI, while control individuals received acupuncture at points not used for SCI. The number of CD133(+) haematopoetic stem cells in peripheral blood doubled 48 hours after acupuncture at SCI points, whereas co ...

SERUM CORRELATES OF ACUPUNCTURE PLACEBO EFFECT IN IBS

Categories: Digestive & Bowel disorders

A US group has discovered two measurable biological parameters associated with the placebo response to acupuncture for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In a previous study by the same group, patients with IBS were randomised to either placebo treatment (using a sham acupuncture device at non-acupoints) or a no-treatment group (waitlist). The new study involved testing a panel of 10 serum biomarkers ...

Needling good for achille's heel

Categories: Miscellaneous, Foot

Acupuncture enhances blood flow and oxygen supply to the Achilles tendon in healthy volunteers. In a crossover trial nine volunteers received treatment of the Achilles tendon with 10 minutes of either acupuncture or a heat pack. During needle insertion, the blood volume and oxygen saturation of the tendon increased significantly compared to pre-treatment levels, and these values remained high thro ...

SP-3 affects autonomic cardiovascular responses

Categories: Heart / Cardiac

Acupuncture at Taibai SP-3 affects the autonomic control of blood flow by enhancing parasympathetic function. In a randomised crossover trial, five healthy volunteers received acupuncture at either Taibai SP-3 or Rangu KID-2 for five minutes. Ultrasound measurements of blood flow were recorded at the radial artery before, during and after acupuncture stimulation. Cardiovascular autonomic data (mea ...

Neiguan P-6 affects brain's balance centres

Categories: Neurological, Acupuncture research

More evidence for the neural specificity of particular acupuncture points comes from a Chinese study that used fMRI to investigate the effects of acupuncture at Neiguan P-6. fMRI was performed on the brains of 36 healthy subjects while they received acupuncture at Neiguan P-6 and two control points (Daling P-7 and Guangming GB-37). Needling at Neiguan P-6 caused extensive signal decreases (deactiv ...

Acupuncture for hypertension

Categories: Hypertension

Korean authors have carried out a systematic review of acupuncture for the treatment of essential hypertension. Twenty trials were included, of which only three were considered relatively rigorous. Acupuncture achieved significant effect modification on blood pressure compared with controls. In the high-quality trials, blood pressure was significantly lower with acupuncture plus antihypertensive d ...

Acupuncture effective post-stroke

Categories: Stroke

A systematic review and meta-analysis from Canada demonstrates that acupuncture may be an effective treatment for post-stroke rehabilitation. Thirty-five articles written in Chinese and 21 written in English were included. The overall quality of the studies was judged as fair, and most studies were small. The majority (80%) of studies reported a significant benefit from acupuncture, although many ...

Acupuncture reduces dental anxiety

Categories: Psychological / emotional, Dental

Having acupuncture before dental treatment can reduce patient's anxiety, according to Swedish authors. Eight dentists (all members of the British Dental Acupuncture Society) submitted case reports. Twenty patients, all in their 40s, had experienced problems with dental anxiety for two to 30 years. All were assessed as moderately to severely anxious using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), with a me ...

Electroacupuncture improves sleep architecture

Categories: Psychological / emotional

The beneficial effects of acupuncture on chronic insomniacs' sleep quality and daytime social functioning are associated with measurable changes to sleep architecture (the cyclical pattern of the stages of sleep). Forty-seven Chinese patients received four courses of electroacupuncture (EA) treatment in a cohort study. Sleep quality index scores were used to evaluate subjective sleep quality, whil ...

Acupuncture protects the heart during surgery

Categories: Heart / Cardiac

Acupuncture pre-treatment can help prevent damage to the heart during valve replacement operations. Reperfusion injury (damage to tissue caused when blood supply returns after a period of ischaemia) contributes to postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing open-heart surgery. In a new Chinese study, 60 patients were randomly allocated to electroacupuncture (EA) pre-treatment or a ...

MOXIBUSTION AND ACUPUNCTURE NO BENEFIT FOR BREECH OR ART

Categories: Pregnancy & labour

A Swiss study of moxibustion for breech version has found no beneficial effect. The RCT, involving 212 women between 34 and 36 weeks gestation, compared two weeks of daily moxibustion at BL-67 with expectant management. The percentage of external cephalic versions was similar between the two groups (18% for moxibustion vs 16% for the control group) and the frequency of caesarean delivery was simil ...