ASTHMA TREATED BY ACUPUNCTURE

Peng Jiangou Director: Chen Dazhong, Cheng Baihua

(Ruijin Hospital Second Medical College, Shanghai)

In this paper, the plasma cyclic adenosinemonophosphate (cAMP), cyclic guanosinemo-nophosphate (cGMP) and Cortisol levels in 30 cases of asthmatic and 20 cases of normal person after acupuncture and after the patients got acupuncture treatment continuously for two weeks were examined with radio immunoassay. The concentration of cAMP and cGMP in guinea pigs' lung tissues were measured at the same time. The results showed that when asthma occurred plasma cAMP and Cortisol levels in the asthmatic group became significantly lower than those in the control group (p<0.001, <0.05), the similar level of cAMP in guinea pigs' lung tissues after asthma induced was also markedly lower (p<0.001). cGMP levels in plasma and tissues were higher than those in the control group, but there were no statistical significance. It showed that the attack of asthma was related with the imbalance of cAMP level, cAMP/cGMP ratio and with the decrease of cortisol.

It was also observed in this experiment that while 76.6% of the patients' rates were diminished after acupuncture and 85.7% of the patients symptoms were relieved or improved after the patients got acupuncture treatment continuously for two weeks, plasma cAMP level and cAMP/cGMP ratio was higher than that before acupuncture, and both of them were in positive correlation (p<0.001, <0.02). Some ventilation function tests on 9 cases of patient with asthma were performed. It was found that while the plasma cAMP level of 5 cases of patient increased after acupuncture, maximal breathing capacity (MBC) also increased significantly. On the contrary, while plasma cAMP level of 2 cases of patient lowered. MBC also decreased. However, there was no significant correlation between the changes of level on plasma cortisol and cGMP and the remission of asthma.

Clinical studies showed that acupuncture was able to relieve the attack of asthma and improved ventilation function at once. It might be that there were some of relevant material changes in the body, which was closely related with cAMP. From the above results, it presumed that acupuncture mechanism for relieving asthma may mainly be related to the elevation of cAMP level and cAMP/cGMP ratio in the plasma and tissues. At the same time, the relieving of bronchospasm, improving of ventilation function and remission of asthmatic symptoms.

In animal experiments, we further observed that the cAMP level and cAMP/cGMP ratio in lung tissues when we acupunctured the "Yuji" point of guinea pigs were higher than non-point. The local blockage with procaine could eliminate the effects of acupuncture. In this case, cAMP level and cAMP/cGMP ratio in lung tissues became lowered conspicuously than when we acupunctured point "Yuji". The values were approximated to those of the asthma group. It suggests that acupuncture on "Yuji" point possesses a special influence on nucleotide in the lung tissues. The adjusting function of acupuncture to the meridians-and point might be probably realized through the routes of nerves and body fluids.