Forty-six cases of acute cerebral infarction treated with the combined use of acupuncture and drugs.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical therapeutic effects of treatment for acute cerebral infarction with the combined use of acupuncture and drugs, and study the therapeutic mechanism. METHODS: 88 cases of acute cerebral infarction were divided randomly into two groups, a treatment group of 46 cases treated with acupuncture, Danshen Zhushe Ye (Saliva Injection) and routine western drugs and a control group of 42 cases treated simply with drugs. The therapeutic effects were evaluated based on the evaluation criteria for damage of the nerve function. Observation was also made on changes in the skull CT images, and in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px), and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in serums, and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) in serums. RESULTS: After treatment for 15 days, the total effective rate of the treatment group reached 80.43%, while that of the control group was 61.90%, showing significant differences. The effective rate shown by the skull CT images of the treatment group was 51.61%, while that of the control group was 45.16%, showing no significant differences. But as compared with the control group, the activities of SOD and GSH-px in serums were significantly enhanced, and the levels of MDA and NO, and activity of NOS in serums were significantly decreased in the treatment group. CONCLUSION: The prompt acupuncture treatment of acute cerebral infarction can markedly raise the clinical therapeutic effects, improve the activity of SOD and GSH-px in serums, lower down the level of MDA in serum, and markedly decrease NO level and NOS activity in serums.