The patterns of stress response in patients undergoing thyroid surgery under acupuncture anaesthesia in China

Abstract

The patterns of catecholamines (adrenaline and noradrenaline), peptide hormones (adrenocorticotropic hormone, antidiuretic hormone, beta-endorphin, growth hormone and prolactin), hydrocortisone (cortisol) and those of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG and IgM) and total and differential leucocyte counts in the peripheral blood were investigated during and for 6 days after thyroid surgery in 20 patients (F/M: 18/2) performed under acupuncture anaesthesia, supplemented by small doses of pethidine (mean: 45.0 mg, s.d. 8.9). Throughout surgery the patients remained conscious. During surgery a significant increase in the level of catecholamines and the above-mentioned circulating hormones and a decrease of immunoglobulins were observed, whereas the leucocyte and differential counts demonstrated leucocytosis due to lymphocytosis, a decreased percentage of eosinophils and a remarkably reduced percentage of neutrophils. In the postoperative phase, levels of noradrenaline and beta-endorphin remained elevated, whereas the other circulating hormones gradually returned to normal values. Immunoglobulin levels and eosinophil counts returned to the preinduction values within 24 h, and those of neutrophil and lymphocyte counts within 2 days. Changes in number of monocytes and basophils could not be detected peri- and postoperatively.

Leucocyte distribution during sevoflurane anaesthesia

“…Interestingly, this finding is in agreement with a previous report that acupuncture analgesia caused a decrease in neutrophil counts and increased lymphocyte counts. 4 There are several explanations for our results. Previous studies demonstrated that adrenal hormones such as corticosteroids were mainly responsible for redistribution of leucocytes between blood and other immune compartments.…”

Electroacupuncture in Anaesthesia for Hysterectomy

“…The surgical stress response was not modified by pre-and peroperative electroacupuncture as was also the case in two other studies of electroacupuncture [11,13]. Kho and colleagues used electroacupuncture supplemented with pethidine in awake patients, but the study was performed without a control group [11].…”

“…In a previous randomized study using electroacupuncture after operation, we found a significant reduction in pethidine requirements after operation in the group given electroacupuncture [1]. In recent years there has been interest in various anaesthetic techniques which may modify the stress response to surgery [7][8][9][10][11][12][13], but only a few have examined electroacupuncture [11].…”

A Literature Review of Women’s Sex Hormone Changes by Acupuncture Treatment: Analysis of Human and Animal Studies

“…Among the studies, prolactin level was found to be increased by acupuncture. In several other studies, prolactin is increased as a result of acupuncture treatment [39, 40]. It seems that acupuncture potentially increases prolactin level, yet more mechanism studies are needed in order to verify exact effect of acupuncture on sex hormones.…”