ACUPUNCTURE AND MOXIBUSTION THERAPY OF ACUTE BACILLARY DYSENTERY

Zhang Taoqing', Jin Ande', Xie Xiulian', Du Futian', Li Songshou', Zhang Erxian-', Zhang Haolian', Pang Qifang''

This research was carried out in 1956. The present paper includes all the results of our research work since the First National Symposia of Acupuncture and Moxibustion and Acupuncture Anesthesia.

There were 142 cases under observation from 1979 to 1981. All of them were treated only with acupuncture-moxibustion. The points selected were Shenque (only treated with moxibustion), Tianshu, Xiawan, Guanyuan, Zusanii and when patient ran a fever, we took Dazhui and Quchi in addition. The average cure rate was 83.47per cent. It took 9 days to show negative reaction in fecal bacterial culture. The curative effect was better than that of the furazolidone group.

We had analysed 10 objective indexes. The results obtained were as follows: The re-increased rate of total blood cholinesterase activity in acupuncture-moxibustion group was 26.24 per cent higher than that of the Furazolidone group. Serum protein electrophoresis showed that both cc-globulin and P-globulin rose continuously within 5 days after acupuncture -moxibusion. Lymphocyte blastogenesis rate was obviously lower than that under normal condition, when patients were attacked by dysentery (P<0.01) and became much higher after acupuncture-moxibustion (P<0,01). The amount of typical lymphoblast also increased significantly (P<0.01). The total and active E-rosette formation rate were both higher than those before acupuncture-moxibustion (P<0.05, P<0.01). The content of complements also tended to improve. The content of nonprotein sulfhydryl (glutathione) showed a tendency of improvement in 62.96 per cent of patients (rose from 7.31 per cent after 3 days of acupuncture-moxibustion of 12.59 per cent near recovery). The content of hydro-cortisone in plasma tended to rise in various time phase and the nitroblue tetrazolium, neutrophil reduction rate dropped much significantly after treatment (P<0.01),

In doing experiments on animals, we used 113 rhesus monkeys ( macaca mulatta) as acute bacillary dysentery models. The acupuncture points selected were the corresponding points to those of the human body and the methods of acupuncture stimulus were also similar to those used for men. The monkeys were being treated in a period of 7 days continuously. The results were as follows: The fecal bacterial culture was 100 per cent negative within 9 days in the treatment group on an average of 5.33-5.6 days. But in the control group only 40 per cent was negative naturally within 15 days. The non-negative monkeys were treated again with acupuncture-moxibustion for 6-13 days until all of them recovered. It was on an average of 18 days. Through the analysis of the variation of objective indexes, we had further found that changes had taken place in another 11 indexes, but changes of 10 indexes were similar to those in human bodies, namely, acupuncture-moxibustion enhanced the bactericidal power of plasma (P<0.01). It picked up the serum amount of sulfhydryl which dropped prominently while some one fell ill. The range was much bigger than that of the control group, it increased the content of serum mucin significantly (P< 0.01). The total amount of serum complement was higher than the control group 5 days after treatment (P<0.05). The titer of serum antibody rose much prominently than the control group. T-lymphocyte esterase staining positive rate rose much significantly 3 days after treatment (P<0.01). In addition, the content of serum insulin, plasma hydrocortisone, plasma cyclic adcnosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), IgM, IgG, IgA and serum inorganic phosphoric acid all showed improvement in different degrees.

Moreover, we had acupunctured the points of Tianshu, Zusanii of both sides with tonic treatment and applied strong moxibustion on points of "Xiawan", "Shenque", Qihai" to 13 case of healthy monkeys carrying dysenteric bacilli. The results were as follows: The fecal bacterial culture of 8 monkeys showed negative reaction after 7 days after acupuncture-moxibustion. Another 5 monkeys had been showing positive reaction were now becoming negative when they were treated with acupuncture-moxibustion for another 7 days. There was an interval of 5 days between both treatments. We observed that the lymphoblasta-genesis rate was extremely higher than before the treatment (P<0.001). The nitroblue tetrazolium neutrophil reduction rate also dropped distinctly, and the amount of complements rose significantly than before the treatment (P<0.05).

The clinical data and the analysis of 21 indexes demonstrated further that: The acupuncture-moxibustion treatment for acute bacillary dysentery has the function of strengthening the patient's resistance and dispelling the invading pathogenic factors, dispersing and passing through the meridians, equalizing the Yin and Yang. That is to say, it has the function anti-inflammation, sterilization, antitoxin, detoxification, strengthening immuno-logical functions of the patients body, correcting the physiological function and disorder of patient, regulating the disturbance of metabolism and highly promoting convalescence.

7. Research Group of Acupuncture, Gansu Provincial Hospital of TCM, Lanzhou

2. Department of Biology, Lanzhou University

3. Gansu Institute of Industrial Hygine

4. The Institute of Medical Biology, Kunmin