Study of Neuropathways of Acupuncture Effect on Functional Regulation and Disease Treatment / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

ABSTRACT

Objective: To reveal the neuropathways of acupuncture effect on regulation of autonomic functions, treatment of diseases and the relationship between treating acupoint and certain target tissue or organ. Methods: it is reviewed for the authors' studies of characteristics of afferent nerve response, somato-sympathetic reflex (one of the somato-autonomic reflexes) and glutamate derived central modulation, target tissue and organ responses to somatic stimulation of acupuncture or electrical shock in rats and mice. Results and Conclusion: An electrical discharge from the nerve afferent serving Zusanli (ST 36) was recorded by applying manual acupuncture or electroacupuncture to Zusanli (ST 36). Such process could be replaced by applying electric shock directly to the afferent nerve assumingly. Somatic electrical stimulation of the afferent nerve e.g. tibia nerve can reflexively elicit an electrical discharge from autonomic efferent nerve e.g. sympathetic nerve that is defined as somato-sympathetic reflex. The reflex can be modulated by an excitatory neurotransmitter of glutamate in the central pathways. On the other hand, somatic stimulation of Zusanli (ST 36), etc. by electroacupuncture showed that them were inhibitory modulation of somatic sensory input from target tissue of the inflammatory pain in the hind paw of the mouse and visceral sensory input from target organ of the colorectum hyperagesia in the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) rat. Spinal GABA and NMDA receptors were proved to be involved in the former and latter processes, respectively.