title: Acupuncture for serum uric acid in patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hyperuricemia (HUA) is the most common disease associated with cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and kidney disease. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the preliminary efficacy, mechanism, and safety of acupuncture on serum uric acid in patients with asymptomatic HUA.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized, placebo-controlled trial among 123 patients with asymptomatic HUA was conducted. The acupoints used in the acupuncture group were bilateral Five Shu in Spleen Meridian. Each participant received the intervention once daily for 10 consecutive days. The sham group received the same treatment duration on the same acupoints by the Park Sham Device. All patients underwent measurements of serum or urine creatinine, uric acid, serum lipid profiles, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, xanthine oxidase (XOD) and urate-anion exchanger (URAT-1).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of the intervention, the individuals in the acupuncture group were found to have significantly less levels of serum uric acid than those in the sham group [(453±65 vs. 528±81) μmol/L, p<0.01]. Acupuncture was effective on increasing the urine uric acid level, urine pH value and 24-hour urine volume than the sham treatment (p<0.05 for all). Interestingly, acupuncture significantly decreased the level of URAT-1 (p<0.01) but not XOD than that of the sham intervention. The adverse events were that 3 patients experienced severe pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture on Five Shu in Spleen Meridian appeared to be safe and efficacious for decreasing serum uric acid in a Chinese HUA patient population. The mechanism might be associated with the decrease level of enzyme URAT-1.
  ChiCTR-TRC-13004122.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China. Electronic address: hyingj3@mail2.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yingjuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China. Electronic address: mengjun@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China. Electronic address: sunbaog@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Baoguo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China. Electronic address: xiangt@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China. Electronic address: zhouxin23@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China. Electronic address: xubiyu@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Biyu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China. Electronic address: wuyz3@mail2.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yingzi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China. Electronic address: chzex@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zexiong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China. Electronic address: zhshjun@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Shijun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D033461:Hyperuricemia / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014527:Uric Acid
keywords: Acupuncture; Hyperuricemia; Serum uric acid; Urate-anion exchanger