Objective: To analyze document features and current research status of applying proteomics technology in acupuncture and moxibustion research, thereby further providing reference for further research and development in this area.
Methods: CNKI, Wangfang Data, CBM, PubMed, and Medline were included. Retrieved were literatures involving applying proteomics technology in acupunc- ture and moxibustion from January 2004 to December 2015. Document features and current research features were statistically analyzed using bibliometrics.
Results: Totally 91 articles were included, 60 from journals, 8 conference theses, and 23 dissertations. The 60 articles were published in 47 kinds of journals, and 56 of them were published in core journals. Theories of acupuncture and moxibustion (correlated with meridians, zang-fu organs) and mechanism research were hotspots, involving 19 kinds of disease models (dominated as gastric mucosal lesion, cerebral ischemia, and spinal cord injury). Two- dimensional gel based electrophoresis technology was used in 51 articles (69. 86%).
Conclusions: Proteomics technology has been widely applied in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion research. It could promote researches on meridians and zang-fu organs correlated theories and mechanisms. The depth and breadth of the study is worth further widening.