Effects of acupuncture on the pituitary-thyroid axis in rabbits with fracture.
OBJECTIVE
To observe the effects of acupuncture on the pituitary-thyroid axis in rabbits with fracture.


METHODS
36 male rabbits with a 3-mm width experimental defect in the middle segment of the left radius were randomly divided into the treatment group and control group, and the changes in serum T3, T4 and TSH contents in different weeks were investigated.


RESULTS
Serum T3, T4 and TSH contents in the treatment group all were higher than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences in the contents of T4 and TSH in the second week and T3 content in the fourth week (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The action of promoting union of fracture is possibly related with the pituitary-thyroid axis.
Second Clinical College of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy.
M
M
Shen
X
X
Qi
Y
Y
Huang
Y
Y
Lü
W
W
Cai
D000818:Animals; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood
D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine