Objective: To explore the relationship among therapeutic effects of moxibustion for treating asthma in summer and autumn and changes of serum nitric oxide(NO) content and pulmonary function.Methods: Sixtyfour athma patients were randomly and evenly divided into summer group and autumn group which were treated by ginger moxibustion of Dazhui(GV 14) and bilateral Feishu(BL 13) plus external application of herbal drug ointment in summer(three ten-day Periods of the hot season) and autumn(10 days before

the same day and 10 days after Autumnal Equinox) respectively.Serum NO was assayed with nitrate reductase method and indexes [forced vital capacity(FVC)

forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV_(1.0))

FEV_(1.0) %

maxium midexpiratory flow(MMEF)

peak expiratory flow(PEF)

forced expiratory flow at 25%

50% and 75% of vital capacity(FEF25

FEF50

FEF75)] of pulmonary function were detected on the 15

(th)

day before the first treatment and after finishing the treatment.Results: After treatment

of the two 32 cases in summer and autumn groups

12(37.50%) and 3((9.38%)) had marked improvement in their symptoms

15(46.88%) and 20(62.50%) had improvement

and 5(15.62%) and 9(28.12%) failed

with the effective rates being 84.38% and 71.88% separately.The therapeutic effect of summer group was significantly superior to that of autumn group.After treatment

serum NO levels of two groups decreased obviously(P