Acupuncture-serum decreases Ca2+ content in cultured rat myocardial cells / 中国针灸

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore whether humoral factors play a role in the mechanisms of acupuncture.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Primary culture of myocardial cells of neonatal rats were carried out. Five days later, they were labeled by fluorescent molecular probe Fluo-3AM. Changes of Ca2+ contents in the cultured myocardial cells after addition of the normal rat serum or acupuncture-serum of the rat who received acupuncture at "Neiguan" (PC 6) and Jianshi (PC 5), were dynamically observed by a confocal laser scanning microscopy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After addition of normal serum of the rat, the intracellular Ca2+ level increased to a certain degree, and then gradually tended to stability, which was significantly decreased by addition of the acupuncture-serum (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The serum of the rat who received acupuncture at acupoints can decrease the Ca2+ level in cultured myocardial cells, which provides a direct evidence for serum factors involving in acupuncture mechanism.</p>