Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 1996 ; 21(1): 15-7.

[Alterations of plasma beta-EP and cortisol contents in thyroidectomy under acupuncture anesthesia and acupuncture anesthesia combined with tetrahydropalmatine]

Zhu W, Xu Z.

Hua Shan Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Medical University.

Acupuncture anesthesia sometimes fails to give sufficient analgesia which may be overcome by appropriate combination of non-narcotic analgetics. We measured beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and cortisol contents in thyroidectomy under acupuncture analgesia (12 cases) and acupuncture anesthesia combined with tetrahydropalmatine (12 cases) by RIA. The results showed that the increase of beta-EP and cortisol in the latter group was less than that of the former, which proved that terahydropalmatine exerted a potentiating effect on acupuncture analgesia.