R: Acupuncture Research Protocols

[Guest guest]

I totally agree with you: this could be only a part of acu effects. At the

present time it could be difficoult search for another, further method.

About a new RCT, I asked to a Cochraine chinese researcher how to avoid a

method failure, because most of the acupuncture trials were corrupted in too

many ways. We, all together, could try to find out a research methology

" uncorruptable " ; by the way, I think that we have not to be convinced about

our treatements, but we have to convince the scientific world, so we must

use western methods for a while, and then we'll can use chinese chriteria,

too.

Thank you again,

-----Messaggio originale-----

Da: Chinese Medicine

Chinese MedicinePer conto di Phil

Rogers

Inviato: mercoledi 22 giugno 2005 11.50

A: Chinese Medicine

Oggetto: Re: Acupuncture Research Protocols

 

 

Hi Gabriele & All,

 

wrote:

> ... I recalled those old (about sixties) experiments done on (poor)

> dogs, who received electrostimating acup. (like in analgesy, low

> freqency, 5Hz); just after one hour, while analgesy was effective, was

> injected nalorphine (Naloxone) the same drug used in patients in

> overdose due to Heroin or Morphine; Nalorphine works on the same sites

> of opium derivates, inhibiting them. In the dogs' experiment after the

> injection, the analgesic effect of electroacupncture suddenly

> disappeared, such demonstrating the same drug mechanism in acupuncture,

> as in a drug opioid analgesic treatment. Of course, this is only a

> western sight of acupuncture, but it could be useful -in my opinion- to

> execute an RCT vs placebo, assuming as a placebo treatement the

> injection or not of nalorphine (placebo acupuncture) vs another kind of

> " naked " injection, like a watery salt solution (Physiologic solution)

> after an acupuncture treatement. Hoping to be understood, because of my

> terrible english (reading an english artcle is a thing, while

> writing...) I wish to ask you all about this idea and how to do it,

> maybe in two nations, why not? Best regards and thanks to all of you.

> , Italy

 

As far as I know, Bruce Pomeranz was the first author to prove a role for

the the pituitary and the endogenous opiate system in AP:

 

Pomeranz B, Cheng R, Law P. AP reduces electrophysiological and

behavioral responses to noxious stimuli: pituitary is implicated. Exp

Neurol. 1977 Jan;54(1):172-8. PMID: 832694 [PubMed - indexed for

MEDLINE]

 

Pomeranz B, Chiu D. Naloxone blockade of AP analgesia: endorphin

implicated. Life Sci. 1976 Dec 1;19(11):1757-62. No abstract available.

PMID: 187888 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

However, NON-OPIATE mechanisms, involving serotonin, substance P

and other neurotransmitters, also modulate AP responses. Therefore, to

use ONLY opiate antagonists in a control group may fail to block some

effects of real AP.

 

In RTCs to examine the effects of AP, I prefer a design that compares

real AP versus real Western Tx (state-of-the-art conventional therapy),

and excludes a placebo or " sham " AP group. If necessary, a third

UNTREATED group could act as the neghative control.

 

 

 

 

Best regards,

Tel: (H): +353-(0) or (M): +353-(0)

 

Ireland.

Tel: (W): +353-(0) or (M): +353-(0)

 

" Man who says it can't be done should not interrupt man doing it " -

Chinese Proverb