Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To observe the effect of acupuncture combined with a modified Zhengan Xifeng Decoction on the early clinical symptoms and oxidative stress status of patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (HICH) of liver-kidney yin deficiency syndrome.
METHODS A total of 60 patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (liver-kidney yin deficiency syndrome) who successfully received 24-hour acute-phase treatment at the Department of Neurosurgery, Acupuncture and Rehabilitation Department, and wards of Kunshan Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine (Kunshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital) from July 2021 to January 2023 were recruited. A randomization table generated by SPSS 22.0 software was used to divide the patients into a control group and an observation group, with 30 patients in each group. The control group received symptomatic treatment, conventional rehabilitation training, and modified Zhengan Xifeng Decoction, while the observation group received additional acupuncture treatment on the basis of the control group. The treatment course was 1 month for both groups. Clinical effective rate, TCM syndrome scores, motor and neurological function scores Activity of Daily Living (ADL) scale, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Simplified Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) scale, improvement in hematoma lesions, Fraction anisotropy (FA) ratio (rFA), and serum levels of antioxidant stress response factors Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) and nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) were observed before and after treatment in both groups.
RESULTS After treatment, the clinical effective rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05); the TCM syndrome scores in both groups decreased significantly (P < 0.05), with the observation group showing better results than the control group (P < 0.05); the ADL and FMA scores in both groups reduced significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), while the NIHSS and Ashworth Scale scores increased significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), with the observation group showing better improvement than the control group (P < 0.05); serum Keap1 levels decreased significantly in both groups (P < 0.01), while Nrf2 levels enhanced significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), with the observation group showing better improvement than the control group (P < 0.05); imaging studies showed that after treatment, the residual hematoma volume decreased significantly in both groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and the rFA value increased significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), with the observation group showing better results than the control group (P < 0.01).
CONCLUSION On the basis of standard treatment for the acute phase, acupuncture combined with Zhengan Xifeng Decoction can significantly improve the early clinical symptoms of HICH patients with liver-kidney yin deficiency, reduce oxidative stress levels, and promote the recovery of nerve and motor functions.