Objective： To explore a method of analyzing the components of anti-asthma activity in serum derived from rats treated with acupuncture. Methods： SDS-PAGE was used to analyze the diversity of the components of serum derived from rats treated with or without acupuncture treatment. Results： SDS-PAGE images displayed that there are one deeply dyed band, whose molecular weight is 62.1 kDa, in the component I from asthma acupuncture group and ADX-asthma acupuncture group, two deeply dyed bands, whose molecular weight are 36. lkDa and 12.3 kDa, respectively, in the component Ⅲ of ADX-asthma acupuncture group, and one dyed band, whose molecular weight is 34.6 kDa, in the segment Ⅲ of ADX-asthma acupuncture group. Conclusion： Acupuncture treatment could produce different components in the serum of rats, and may have bidirectional regulation on protein components in serum.
Objective： Different kinds of sham acupuncture are widely applied in randomized controlled trials （RCTs） to explore whether acupuncture has intrinsic therapeutic effects beyond the placebo effects for certain indication. To make conclusions of trials more comparable and convincing, it is of great necessity to unify the sham acupuncture procedure. Methods： RCTs of acupuncture with high quality in the recent 14 years were reviewed, and the appropriateness of the sham acupuncture procedures was assessed. Results： The sham acupuncture procedures were mainly classified into five kinds according to their administered sites, penetrating, and intervention apparatus. Conclusion： Among the sham acupuncture procedures, needling near the selected acupoints, needling at a distant non-acupoints, and non-penetrating sham acupuncture are most commonly used. Sham acupuncture performed at distant site belongs to non-meridian and non-acupoint may be an ideal control for the study of the intrinsic therapeutic effects of acupuncture. Besides, the selection of controls must focus on the design and aim of RCTs, such as non-inferiority, equivalence and superiority trials.
