Morphological Study of the Protective and Curative Effects of the Acupuncture for Some Experimental Deseases including Hepatitis, Alloxan Diabetes and Nephritis / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

Although the efficacy of acupuncture in treatment of various diseases has been empirically established, systematic demonstration of this point has been rarely made. Our animal experiments designed to prove the efficacy of acupuncture on a scientific basis are reviewed here.<br>Each of the following experiments was carried out on two to five groups of mice. Mice in acupuncture group (A-animals) were acupunctured at four to seventeen points on every second or third day beginning with the first experimental day.<br>Exp. I. The preventive effect of acupuncture on acute poisoning by carbon tetrachloride-With carbon tetrachloride (4.16g/kg body weight) injected in the abdominal cavity on the 18th exp. day, all the non-acupunctured mice (N-animals) died in 72 hours after the administration, while 16% of the A-animals survived.<br>Exp. II. The curative effect of acupuncture on subacute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride. -Carbon tetrachloride (3.47g/kg b. w.) was administered on the 17th exp. day in the same manner as Exp. I. Levallorphan tartrate (antagonist to narcotics) was given to half of the A-animals (L+A-animals) and control animals (L-animals) before each session of acupuncture. Electron microscopic examination revealed severely injured liver cells in the N-animals and very little changes in the A-animals. The liver of L+A-animals was injured to some extent. Since the explanation of toxicity of levallorphan was refuted by the L-animals, this result suggests that some narcotic substances play a role in the process.<br>Exp. III. The effect of acupuncture on alloxan diabetes. -Alloxan (6mg) was administered on the 8th exp. day, and the animals were sacrificed on the 30th or 46th exp. day for examination. The N-animals showed extremely high blood sugar, though the A-animals did not. Ultrastructural study revealed that characteristic changes of alloxan diabetes in the pancreas had almost disappeared from the A-animals.<br>Exp. IV. The effect of acupuncture on renal injury induced by mercuric chloride. -With mercuric chloride (0.2mg/100g b. w.) administered three times a week, 10% of the N-animals and none of the A-animals died during the three-month period. Fairly heavy proteinuria (30-100mg/ml) was detected in the N-animals, though uria of A-animals was almost normal. After a one-month period, the N-animals showed a significant weight loss compared to the A-animals. Through the use of the electron microscope, severe injuries were seen in the epithelium of the renal tubules of the N-animals, and healed injuries in that of the A-animals.<br>Ultrastructural evidence has been presented that acupuncture is effective in (1) preventing and curing liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride, (2) curing alloxan diabetes, (3) curing nephritis induced by mercuric chloride. Our hypothesis suggesting the possible mechanism that underlies these effects produced by acupuncture has been briefly explained.