AIM: To investigate the interventional effect of acupuncture plus drug in subjects with Parkinson disease, and the changes of activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and content of peroxidation lipid in plasma and akaryocytes. METHODS: Totally 38 subjects with Parkinson disease, who hospitalized at Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Acupuncture and Manipulation Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University from January 2004 to February 2006, were enrolled. They all participated the observation voluntarily, and assigned randomly into two groups: acupuncture plus drug group and drug control group with 19 cases. (1) The subjects in the drug control group received benserazide-levodopa orally, 62.5 to 500 mg every time, 2 to 4 times per day. The treatment duration was the same to that in the acupuncture plus drug group. (2) Acupuncture therapy was added in the acupuncture plus drug group based on the drug given in the drug control group. The needles entered with scalp acupuncture horizontal method. Electric needle was turned on for 30 minutes after twisting for 3 minutes. Uniform reinforcing-reducing method was applied, retaining needles for 30 minutes, once every two days, 10 times as a course for 4 courses, resting for 7 days between two courses. Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) was used to evaluate clinical curative effect. The symptom was recorded before treatment, 2 or 4 courses after treatment. Progress rate (%) was equal to (score before treatment - score after treatment) / score before treatment 100%. Over 50% of progress rate represented significant effect; between 20% to 49% represented advancement; less than 20% represented slight effect. Total efficiency (%) was equal to number of persons with significant effect + number of improved cases + number of persons with slight effect/total cases 100%. Activity of SOD and content of peroxidation lipid in plasma and akaryocytes were detected before treatment and after 4-course treatment, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 38 subjects were involved in the result analysis, without dropout. (1) Total efficiency after 4-course treatment: it was significantly higher in the acupuncture plus drug group than that in the drug control group (89.4%, 52.6% (p = 0.03)). (2) Score of UPDRS: it decreased in the acupuncture plus drug group after 2 courses, but there was insignificant difference as compared with that before treatment (p > 0.05). The score was significantly lower than that before treatment and that in the drug control group after 4 courses (p < 0.05). (3) Activity of SOD and content of peroxidation lipid in plasma and akaryocytes: the activity of SOD was significantly higher in the acupuncture plus drug group than that before treatment and that in the drug control group after 4 courses (p < 0.05). The content of peroxidation lipid in acupuncture plus drug group was significantly lower than that before treatment and that in the drug control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture can improve the ability of anti- oxidation to help prevent and control Parkinson disease by raising the activity of SOD and decreasing content of peroxidation lipid in subjects with Parkinson disease.

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