Electroacupuncture at specific traditional points improved oxygenation more than sham stimulation in pancreatitis-related lung injury, alongside a shift toward anti-inflammatory immune signalling.
Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by severe acute pancreatitis were randomly assigned to conventional treatment alone, conventional treatment plus electrical stimulation at non-acupuncture sites, or conventional treatment plus daily electroacupuncture at Lieque, Chize, and Zusanli for five days. Blood gases, illness-severity scores, and inflammatory immune markers were assessed before treatment and during follow-up.
Oxygenation improved and illness severity declined across all treatment groups, while inflammatory tumour necrosis factor decreased and the anti-inflammatory marker interleukin ten increased. However, patients receiving electroacupuncture at the specified points showed greater improvement in oxygenation than those receiving non-acupuncture-site stimulation, suggesting point-specific electroacupuncture may reduce pancreatitis-associated lung injury through anti-inflammatory effects.
