Objective: To verify the clinical efficacy on postmenopausal osteoporosis treated with acupoint injection of salmon calcitonin.
Methods: Ninety patients of postmenopausal osteoporosis were randomized into three groups, 30 cases in each one. In the acupoint injection group, Shenshu (BL 23) and Zusanli (ST 36) were selected bilaterally. The injection 4 mL was prepared with salmon calcitonin 100 U (1 mL) and 0.9% sodium chloride injection. Each acupoint was stimulated with the injection, 1 mL. In the blank group, 0.9% sodium chloride injection was applied to bilateral Shenshu (BL 23) and Zusanli (ST 36), 1 mL at each acupoint. In the intramuscular injection group, salmon calcitonin 100 U was injected at gluteus maximus. The treatment was given once every two days in the patients of the three groups and lasted for 2 months. The levels of bone mineral density (BMD), bone alkaline phosphatase (NBAP), C-terminal telopeptides of typeⅠcollagen (CTX), urine calcium/creatinine (Ca/Cr) and the symptom score of osteoporosis were detected in the patients of the three groups before and after treatment.
Results: In the patients of the three groups, NBAP and BMD in lumbar vertebra after treatment were higher than those before treatment (all P<0.05); CTX, Ca/Cr and symptom score were lower than those before treatment (all P<0.05). After treatment, NBAP was (32.7±2.5) μg/L in the acupoint injection group, higher than those in the blank group and the intramuscular injection group (both P<0.05). In the acupoint injection group, CTX was reduced to (239.7±63.6) μmmol/L and Ca/Cr was reduced to 0.525±0.274, apparently lower than those in the blank group and intramuscular injection group (both P<0.05). After treatment, in the acupoint injection group, BMD of lumbar vertebra was (0.731±0.062) g/m2, higher than the level of the rest two groups (both P<0.05). After treatment, the symptom score was 5.2±0.6 in the acupoint injection group, lower than those in the blank group and intramuscular injection group (both P<0.05).
Conclusions: Salmon calcitonin injec-tion at Zusanli (ST 36) and Shenshu (BL 23) achieves significant efficacy on postmenopausal osteoporosis, stimulating osteoblast activity and inhibiting bone absorption of osteoclast.
Keywords: Point BL 23 (Shenshu); Point ST 36 (Zusanli); acupoint injection; osteoporosis, postmenopausal; salmon calcitonin.