Tuesday, May 27, 2008

The Curative Effect Of Acupuncture On Bacillary Dysentery In Rhesus Monkey And The Experimental Study Of Its Mechanism

Zhang Taoqing, Jin Ande, Li Songshou, (Acupuncture Group for Dysentery, Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Gansu.)

Zhu Shoupeng, Zhang Runsheng, (Suzhou Medical College.)

Zhang Erxian, Liu Shizhen, (Teaching and Research Section of Biochemistry, Lanzhou University.)

Mao Xingjian, Zhang Haoliang, (Institute of Industrial Hygiene, Gansu Province.)

Wang Fenglian, Shi Lishi, (Teaching and Research Section of Microbiology, Lanzhou Medical College.)

Wang Lijun, (Institute of Biological Products, Lanzhou.)


The present paper is based on the results obtained in 1959-1961, in which the conclusion was made that acupuncture had curative effects in treating artificially infected acute bacillary dysentery in Rhesus monkey, and on studies to elucidate its mechanism.

In experiment, we selected the following acupuncture points in the body of monkey corresponding to those in man, Xiawan, Tianshu, Qihai, Guanyuan and Zusanli as main needling points, and in addition we used a method of "Moxibution by placing Common Salt on Shenjue Point". The result was that in the treated group, the total leucocytes count was 17,694/mm{3} on an average before infection, and increased to 22,100/mm{3} on an average the next day after infection, and thence decreased gradually. The differential count of white blood cells, showed no constant changes. Only in the experimental animals, the immature rod-like nuclear cells were found increased in number after infection, and then they gradually returned to normal.


The fecal bacterial culture and microscopic examination: we found that the infected animals were suffering severely from the disease symptomatically, but 48 hours after the treatment by acupuncture and moxibustion, in about two-thirds of the animals the fecal bacterial culture was negative and on the 4th day, all cultures were negative, while in the control group, 12 days after the infection, the fecal bacterial culture of all the infected animals remained positive. Under microscopic examination, both red corpuscles and pus cells in most of the treated animals disappeared, two days before the control group.


The determination of some biochemical indices: The free histamine content in plasma of which its normal value was 4.79 micrograms/ml before infection in the monkey, and it increased to 6.67 micrograms/ml after the attack of disease. The difference was statistically significant as indicated by P<0.05. The readings reached 4.99 micrograms/ml when the last treatment of acupuncture and moxibustion was given. In the examination of cholinesterase, there was apparent decreases 48 hours after infection in the monkey; the fall was as much as 77.7% in the control group as against 55.7% in treatment group. But after three days, all the indices in treated animals recovered rapidly.


Immunological examination: The production of antibodies appeared on the second day in treatment group and on the 6th day in the control group. The highest average antibody titre was 1:464 in treatment group, while it was 1:210 in control group. The total amount of complement fluctuated within normal limits after monkeys were infected. The phagocytic index in normal monkeys averaged 29.3, but it fell to 14.4 in infected animals, the difference was significant with P less than 0.05. After acupuncture and moxibustion for three times, the phagocytic index rose to 34.23. With regard to the virulence and toxicity of bacteria, we found that acupuncture and moxibustion therapy was able to effect an apparent attenuation followed by eventual disappearance.

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