The Effect of Oculo-Acupuncture on Acute Hepatic Injury Induced by Carbon Tetrachloride in Dogs

Abstract

We investigated the therapeutic effect of oculo-acupuncture on dogs induced with acute hepatic injury. Hepatic injury was induced by intraperitoneal injection with carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) in 8 mongrel dogs (4 females and 4 males, aged 2 to 4 years). The dogs were divided into the control group (4 dogs) and the experimental group (4 dogs). The experimental group was treated with oculo-acupuncture at the liver/gallbladder regions plus the zhong jiao region of the eye after the induction of hepatic injury. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) activities were measured in both control and experimental groups. The serum AST, ALT, and GGT activities in the experimental group were decreased as compared to those in the control group. The significant differences were detected on the third day (AST, p < 0.05), second day (ALT, p < 0.05) and third day (GGT, p < 0.05) in the experimental group, respectively. Oculo-acupuncture alleviated acute liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride in dogs was also confirmed by histopathological examination. We concluded that oculo-acupuncture at the liver/gallbladder regions plus the zhong jiao region was effective in the recovery of dogs from hepatic injury in a CCl(4)-induced model.

Acupuncture attenuates renal interstitial fibrosis via the TGF‑β/Smad pathway

“…Furthermore, EA exerts an anti-inflammatory effect by reducing the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (33). Research has shown that periorbital acupuncture reduced the severity of a chemically induced renal injury in animals (34). More importantly, acupoint massage acts as a non-invasive technique that can boost energy levels, and improve an individual's health and comfort.…”