Perspective of Calcium Imaging Technology Applied to Acupuncture Research / 中国结合医学杂志

Acupuncture, a therapeutic treatment defined as the insertion of needles into the body at specific points (ie, acupoints), has growing in popularity world-wide to treat various diseases effectively, especially acute and chronic pain. In parallel, interest in the physiological mechanisms underlying acupuncture analgesia, particularly the neural mechanisms have been increasing. Over the past decades, our understanding of how the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system process signals induced by acupuncture has developed rapidly by using electrophysiological methods. However, with the development of neuroscience, electrophysiology is being challenged by calcium imaging in view field, neuron population and visualization in vivo. Owing to the outstanding spatial resolution, the novel imaging approaches provide opportunities to enrich our knowledge about the neurophysiological mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia at subcellular, cellular, and circuit levels in combination with new labeling, genetic and circuit tracing techniques. Therefore, this review will introduce the principle and the method of calcium imaging applied to acupuncture research. We will also review the current findings in pain research using calcium imaging from in vitro to in vivo experiments and discuss the potential methodological considerations in studying acupuncture analgesia.

Effects of acupuncture at "Tianshu" (ST 25) on electro-activity and mechanical motility of migrating motor complex during jejunal digestion period in rats with detached jejunum / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of acupuncture at "Tianshu" (ST 25) on electro-activity and mechanical motility at different phases of migrating motor complex (MMC) during jejunal digestion period in rats with detached jejunum, so as to explore the effect and mechanism of acupuncture on regulating intestinal movement.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixteen adult SD rats were selected. Electrodes were implanted in the serous membrane of intestinal smooth muscl.e and high-sensitivity sensors of strain gauge were sutured on serosal surface, and then the rat was anesthetized and its jejunum was detached. Electro-acriviry and mechanical motility of jejunal smooth muscle were recorded simultaneously. Acupuncture was applied at "Tianshu" (ST 25) at MMC I , MMCII and MMC III, respectively, to observe its influence on electro-activity and mechanical motility.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At phase of MMC I, there was no obvious change of the fast wave before and after the acupuncture, while the frequency and amplitude of slow wave and mechanical motility were both significantly decreased compared with baseline (P < 0.01). At MMCII-Ill, the frequency and amplitude of fast wave, slow wave and motility were all significantly decreased compared with baseline (P < 0.01). Acupuncture at "Tianshu" (ST 25) had prohibited effects on electro-activity and mechanical motility of jejunal smooth muscle in rats with detached jejunum.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture at "Tianshu" (ST 25) has obvious prohibited effects on electro-acrivity and mechanical motility at MMC I , MMC II and MMC III time phases in rats with detached jejunum. The possible mechanism is that acupuncture at "Tianshu" (ST 25) could prohibit jejunum movement through reflex path of skin-sympathetic.</p>

Acupuncture inhibiting responses of spinal dorsal dorsal horn neurons induced by noxious dilation rectum and colon / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study on mechanisms of acupuncture in relieving visceral pain.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In SD rats CRD was used as noxious visceral stimuli. Activities of spinal dorsal horn wide dynamic (WDR) neurons of L1-L13 were recorded by extracellular microelectrode technique. Acupuncture was given at ipsi-lateral and contra-lateral Zusanli (ST 36) of the same segmental innervation of rectum and colon.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Visceral noxious afferent could significantly activate spinal dorsal horn convergent neurons, and mechanical stimulation of contra-lateral body surface and hand acupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) could inhibit this noxious response. When the spinal cord was acutely blocked, the inhibiting CRD effect of needling CRD effect of needling contra-lateral Zusanli (ST 36) completely disappeared.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture and visceral noxious afferent signals converge and interact each other in spinal level, and acupuncture at acupoint can inhibit the spinal dorsal horn neuron respon se activated by visceral noxious afferent and this action needs the participation of the center above the spinal cord.</p>

Analysis on blood-pressure-decreasing effect of electric pulse stimulation of auricular acupoint Jiangyagou in the patient of hypertension / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the blood-pressure-decreasing action of stimulating auricular acupoint Jiangyagou in the patient of hypertension.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and twenty-nine cases of stage I - III hypertension were treated by electric pulse stimulation of auricular acupoint Jiangyagou with a MEDI/calma Nerve and Muscle Stimulator, 20-30 min each time, once daily. After treatment of 3 courses (21 days), changes of blood pressure were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 129 cases, 44 cases were markedly effective, 73 cases were effective and 12 cases were ineffective, the total effective rate being 90.70%. The systolic pressure was decreased by (18.64 +/- 1.48)mmHg and the diastolic pressure by (8.01 +/- 0.68)mmHg on average, with very significant differences before and after treatment in both the systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Electric pulse stimulation of Jiangyagou can effectively decrease both the systolic pressure and diastolic pressure in the patient of hypertension.</p>