Effect of Herbal Medicines and Acupuncture on Microcirculatory Disturbance / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

Microcirculation includes arteriole, capillary and venule, which occupies more than 90% of whole vessels. It provides molecular exchange between inside and outside of the vessels. In the microcirculatory disturbance, there are change of vascular diameter, decrease in blood flow, oxidative stress, increase in vascular permeability, degranulation of mast cells, and so on. Microcirculatory disturbance is related with not only cardiovascular and cerebral vascular diseases, but also vascular diseases in diabetes mellitus, and liver and renal dysfunction. Traditional Chinese medicine has treated the microcirculatory disturbance by herbal medicines and acupuncture. However, little is known about mechanisms of effects of herbal medicines and acupuncture on the microcirculatory disturbance. The technique of intravital microscopy allows for quantitative investigation of vascular permeability, oxidative stress, and adhesive interaction between different circulation cells and the blood vessel walls.<BR>In Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University, we have investigated the effects of herbal medicines and acupuncture on microcirculatory disturbance through observation of changes in vascular permeability using FITC-labeled albumin, and oxidative stress using DHR fluorescence. In this literature, I show our data and explain the mechanisms of protective effects of herbal medicines and acupuncture on microcirculatory disturbance.