Clinical Study on Needling Method of Purging Liver and Tonifying Lungs in Treating Taiyin Cases with Depression

OBJECTIVE To observe the clinical effects of needling method of purging liver and tonifying lungs in treating people of Taiyin constitution with depression and explore its endocrine and immune mechanism. METHODS Ninety cases with depression were randomly divided into 3 groups (treatment group， control group and medicine group)， with 30 cases in each group. The treatment group were treated by needling method of purging liver and nourishing lungs which originated from Korean medicine， and control group were treated by acupuncture of traditional Chinese medicine around Baihui (GV 20) and Neiguan(PC 6); the medicine control group were given Proza. And the treatment last 8 weeks. Then Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD)， levels of CORT， ACTH， IL-6 and CRP in peripheral blood were compared in three groups both before and after the treatment. RESULTS After treatment， level of HAMD decreased in three groups (P<0.01)， with treatment group being the best (P<0.05~0.01); and levels of CORT and ACTH decreased dramatically in all groups (P<0.01)， with the treatment group being the most obvious (P<0.05~0.01); levels of IL-6 and CRP in peripheral blood reduced in all groups (P<0.01)， but there was no difference between them. CONCLUSION Compared to acupuncture of traditional Chinese medicine and Proza， needling method of purging liver and tonifying lungs can greatly improve depression and is effective in reducing levels of CORT， ACTH， IL-6 and CRP in peripheral blood of Tayin people with depression.