[Clinical observation on acupuncture for treatment of diabetic nephropathy].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture on early metaphase diabetic nephropathy. METHODS: Fifty-four cases of diabetes were randomly divided into an acupuncture group (n=30) and a control group (n=24). The patients in the two groups were all treated by oral administration of Gliguidon or subcutaneous injection of insulin with acupuncture at Ganshu (BL 18), Weiwanxiashu (EX-B 3), Shenshu (BL 23), Guanyuan (CV 4) and other acupoints added in the acupuncture group, for 30 days. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 93.3% in the acupuncture group and 66.7% in the control group. After treatment, blood beta2-microglobulin (beta2-MG), and urine beta2-MG in the acupuncture group decreased significantly with a significant difference as compared with those in the control group; total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) significantly decreased and high density lipoprotein (HDL) significantly increased in the acupuncture group with significant differences compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture can improve lipid metabolism and protect the renal function of the patient with early metaphase diabetes.