Morphological Analysis of Mouse Acupuncture Points / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

The acupuncture points are quite important in Oriental medicine. They have been known for about 3, 000 years. However, the points have not been ascertained morphologically to date.<br>In this experiment, the acupuncture points such as Hoku (LI-4), Taichong (LV-3) and one of the auricular points, which were at first obtained morphologically using a Rydoraku point-searching apparatus (12V, DC), and then needled perpendicularly with acupuncture needle No. 30, staining the tip of the needle with carbon black ink to mark the point localizations.<br>Small pieces of skin were marked with ink cuts and fixed with 10% neutralized formalin, and then serial paraffin sections were made for light microscopical observations.<br>The acupuncture points seemed to be the places at which the electric resistance was usually lower than at other non-acupuncture points.<br>Non-acupuncture points with high electric resistance were also taken for the control (Fig. 7).<br>From the light microscopical observations of the acupuncture points, a special complex was found (Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). It was composed of a nerve fiber running horizontal to the surface of the skin, some blood and lymph vessels and a small amount of collagenous fibers.<br>These elements seemed to be a plexus forming a complex, and the complex was usually located within the subcutaneous tissue.<br>On the other hand, such complex had not been observed at the non-acupuncture points so far (Fig. 7).<br>In summary, it is postulated that the acupuncture points seem to be in some way related to the nervous elements, the vascular system and collagenous fibers.<br>Fig. 1. A schematic illustration of acupuncture points, postulated by Niboyet (1979).<br>Fig. 2. Histological view of the acupuncture point of Hoku (LI-4) in the left foreleg of the mouse.<br>X70<br>Fig. 3. At the point of Hoku (LI-4) in the right foreleg of the mouse, one can also see a complex of nervous elements (N) and the vascular system (V). X70<br>Fig. 4 This light micrograph also shows a complex of nervous elements (N) and vascular system (V) in Taichong (LV-3) of the left hind leg of the mouse. X150<br>Fig. 5. There is also observed a complex of the nervous elements (N) and vascular system (V) in Taichong (LV-3) of the right hind leg of the mouse. X150<br>Fig. 6. A complex of the nervous elements (N) and vascular system (V) is also observed in an acupuncture point of the mouse auricle. X150<br>Fig. 7. A complex of the nervous elements and vascular system is not observed in the non-acupuncture point area of the mouse foreleg. X70