Effects of Acupuncture Combined with Chinese Medicine on Tear Secretion and Acetylcholine Content in Dry Eye Rabbit Model

OBJECTIVE To explore the curative mechanism of acupuncture and Chinese medicine for dry eye syndrome by observing the changes of tear secretion and tear ducts acetylcholine content in the rabbit model. METHODS New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into the blank group， model group， acupuncture group， Chinese medicine and acupuncture and Chinese medicine group (10 rats in each group). Patients in the blank group did not receive any treatment. Model group was treated with eyes drops of 1% atropine sulfate eye drops (four times a day until the end of the trial). The remaining group was treated with acupuncture， Chinese medicine and combination of acupuncture and Chinese medicine respectively. The lacrimal tear secretion and acetylcholine in each group at different stages were observed. RESULTS Acupuncture， Chinese medicine and acupuncture combined with Chinese medicine can improve tear secretion in dry eye rabbit model. In the 10th and 17th day of the experiment， the lachrymal acetylcholine levels in acupuncture combined with Chinese traditional medicine group were significantly higher than those of the model group (P<0.05)， and there was significant difference. CONCLUSION Acupuncture combined with Chinese medicine runmuling can obviously promote the Ach secretion of lacrimal gland and increase tear secretion.