High-Tech Acupuncture and Integrative Laser Medicine 2014

The special issue focuses on the latest innovative aspects of high-tech acupuncture, including related research topics. In this year, the accepted papers deal with the following interesting aspects. L. Zhang et al. investigated the inhibiting effect of elec-troacupuncture (EA) at Zusanli on early inflammatory factor levels formed by postoperative abdominal adhesions in a rat model, to find out the relationship between EA and the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Sixty-four male Wis-tar rats were divided into 8 groups. The í µí»¼-bungarotoxin (í µí»¼-BGT) was injected into the abdominal cavity after surgery, and the bilateral celiac vagotomy was done during the surgery. Three days later, the levels of inflammatory mediators in tissues were evaluated. The abdominal adhesion groups developed obvious edema. It was found that EA lowered the elevated levels of inflammatory mediators significantly; EA plus í µí»¼-BGT and vagotomy showed less anti-inflammatory effects. The authors concluded that the activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway might be one of the mechanisms of EA at Zusanli points to exert the anti-inflammatory effects. Effects of Guasha on heart rate variability (HRV) were investigated by X. Wang et al. in ten healthy male volunteers and 15 weightlifters. These test persons were divided into two groups and underwent 20-minute Guasha therapy. Elec-trocardiography was recorded before and immediately after Guasha. HRV was calculated in both the time domain and frequency domain. The different evaluated HRV parameters reacted differently to the Guasha therapy. In conclusion, Guasha therapy facilitates the parasympathetic nervous activity and modulates the balance between parasympathetic and sympathetic activities in both healthy men under normal conditions and weightlifters after training sessions. Although the changes of the HRV parameters were similar in both groups, the responsiveness was more pronounced in healthy men than in male weightlifters. ˙ I. ¨ Oztekin et al. conducted a study aimed to compare anti-inflammatory effects of oligonol, acupuncture, and quantum light therapy in rat models of estrogen-induced prostatitis. Ninety adult male Wistar albino rats were divided into nine different experimental groups. Chronic prostatitis (CP) was induced by the administration of 17-beta-estradiol (E2) and dihydrotestosterone. Oligonol was given for 6 weeks. Acupuncture needles were inserted at CV 3/4 and bilaterally B 32/35 points. Quantum therapy was administered three times weekly for 6 weeks. Lateral lobes of prostates were dissected for histopathologic evaluation. All treatment modalities tested in this study showed anti-inflammatory effects in the treatment of CP. The authors found a syner-gistic effect for …