[Fuzzy cluster analysis of therapeutic effects of electro-acupuncture at different parameters]

To probe into the application of fuzzy cluster in analysis of therapeutic effects of electro-acupuncture at different parameters on adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) in rats.

One hundred Wistar rats were randomly divided into ten groups: normal control group, untreated group and eight electro-acupuncture groups at different parameters. There were ten rats in each group. AA rats were treated by electro-acupuncture at different frequencies (2 Hz or 100 Hz), waveforms (successive wave or intermittent wave) and current intensities (0.1 mA or 0.2 mA). Firstly, the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of electro-acupuncture at different parameters were compared with orthogonal experiment, and then with the application of fuzzy mathematics, the data of joint swelling, pain threshold and the contents of beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) after the treatment in all groups were standardized by the method of data range normalization. Programming and solution were done by MATLAB. The methods of fuzzy similar matrix and the transitive closure were used in similarity evaluation of therapeutic effects of electro-acupuncture at different parameters.

Based on index determination and variance analysis, both the normal control group and untreated group were clustered to one category as lambda equaled to 0.72. Electro-acupuncture at 100 Hz, successive wave, 0.2 mA, electro-acupuncture at 100 Hz, intermittent wave, 0.1 mA and electro-acupuncture at 100 Hz, intermittent wave, 0.2 mA were clustered to one category and had similar good anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. The therapeutic effects of the remaining electro-acupuncture types were similar.

Fuzzy cluster analysis provides a better method for evaluating the overall therapeutic effects of electro-acupuncture with multiple factors.