Predicting Meridian in Chinese traditional medicine using machine learning approaches.

Plant-derived nature products, known as herb formulas, have been commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for disease prevention and treatment. The herbs have been traditionally classified into different categories according to the TCM Organ systems known as Meridians. Despite the increasing knowledge on the active components of the herbs, the rationale of Meridian classification remains poorly understood. In this study, we took a machine learning approach to explore the classification of Meridian. We determined the molecule features for 646 herbs and their active components including structure-based fingerprints and ADME properties (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion), and found that the Meridian can be predicted by machine learning approaches with a top accuracy of 0.83. We also identified the top compound features that were important for the Meridian prediction. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that molecular properties of the herb compounds are associated with the TCM Meridians. Taken together, the machine learning approach may provide novel insights for the understanding of molecular evidence of Meridians in TCM.

A new bioimpedance research device (BIRD) for measuring the electrical impedance of acupuncture meridians.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this article is to introduce an electrical bioimpedance device that uses an old and little-known impedance measuring technique to study the impedance of the meridian and nonmeridian tissue segments. DESIGN: Three (3) pilot experimental studies involving both a tissue phantom (a cucumber) and 3 human subjects were performed using this BIRD-I (Bioimpedance Research Device) device. This device consists of a Fluke RCL meter, a multiplexer box, a laptop computer, and a medical-grade isolation transformer. Segment and surface sheath (or local) impedances were estimated using formulae first published in the 1930s, in an approach that differs from that of the standard four-electrode technique used in most meridian studies to date. RESULTS: Our study found that, when using a quasilinear four-electrode arrangement, the reference electrodes should be positioned at least 10 cm from the test electrodes to ensure that the segment (or core) impedance estimation is not affected by the proximity of the reference electrodes. A tissue phantom was used to determine the repeatability of segment (core) impedance measurement by the device. An applied frequency of 100 kHz was found to produce the best repeatability among the various frequencies tested. In another preliminary study, with a segment of the triple energizer meridian on the lower arm selected as reference segment, core resistance-based profiles around the lower arm showed three of the other five meridians to exist as local resistance minima relative to neighboring nonmeridian segments. The profiles of the 2 subjects tested were very similar, suggesting that the results are unlikely to be spurious. CONCLUSIONS: In electrical bioimpedance studies, it is recommended that the measuring technique and device be clearly defined and standardized to provide optimal working conditions. In our study using the BIRD I device, we defined our standard experimental conditions as a test frequency of 100 kHz and the position of the reference electrodes of at least 10 cm from the test electrodes. Our device has demonstrated potential for use in quantifying the degree of electrical interconnection between any two surface-defined test meridian or nonmeridian segments. Issues arising from use of this device and the measurement Horton and van Ravenswaay technique were also presented.

Importance of the concept of inner organs-dental relations in dentistry.

The current article is presenting an effective treatment scheme, providing reliable positive result of therapy and prophylaxis of dental diseases and its complications on the patients through the study of pathology of meridian - inner organs - dental system, bound by system of traces - meridians, using Doppler ultrasonography, rheovasography, photoplethysmography, Electroacupuncture, ultrasound investigations of the inner organs, X-Ray, laboratory investigations, electrocardiography methods. We had studied the efficiency of the odontic Microsystem, developed by R. Voll and R. Dale in dental practice by oral examination of 100 patients, average aged 25,5+/-0,74, which were divided into three groups. The necessity of complex treatment of the patients with pathology of inner organs and related with that demineralization process of the hard tissues of the teeth and the periodontitis had been demonstrated.

Electrical skin impedance at acupuncture points.

OBJECTIVES: To test whether electrical skin impedance at each of three acupuncture points (APs) is significantly lower than at nearby sites on the meridian (MP) and off the meridian (NP). DESIGN: Two instruments - Prognos (MedPrevent GmbH, Waldershof, Germany), a constant-current (DC) device, and PT Probe (designed for this study), a 100-Hz sinusoidal-current (AC) device-were used to record electrical impedance at three APs (right Gallbladder 14, right Pericardium 8, and left Triple Energizer 1), and two control sites for each AP. Each AP, MP, and NP was measured four times in random order with each device. SETTING: The study was conducted over a period of 4 days at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM). SUBJECTS: Twenty (20) healthy adults (14 women and 6 men), all recruited from the OCOM student body and faculty, participated in the study. RESULTS: The Prognos measurements had an intraclass correlation (ICC) = 0.84 and coefficient of variation (CV) = 0.43. The PT Probe had ICC = 0.81 and CV = 0.31. Impedance values at APs were not significantly less than at MPs or NPs. Impedance values at MPs were also not significantly less than NPs, although their individual p values were <0.05 in 4 of 6 cases. There was a significant trend of increasing impedance with repeated measurements with both the Prognos (p =0.003) and the PT Probe (p= 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Within the reliability limits of our study methods, none of the three APs tested has lower skin impedance than at either of the nearby control points. These results are not consistent with previous studies that detected lower skin impedance at APs than nearby sites. Further study is necessary to determine whether MPs have lower skin impedance than nearby NPs. Our study suggests caution is warranted when developing, using, and interpreting results from electrodermal screening devices. Further studies are needed to clarify the clinically important and controversial hypothesis that APs are sites of lower impedance.

Electrical impedance along connective tissue planes associated with acupuncture meridians.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture points and meridians are commonly believed to possess unique electrical properties. The experimental support for this claim is limited given the technical and methodological shortcomings of prior studies. Recent studies indicate a correspondence between acupuncture meridians and connective tissue planes. We hypothesized that segments of acupuncture meridians that are associated with loose connective tissue planes (between muscles or between muscle and bone) visible by ultrasound have greater electrical conductance (less electrical impedance) than non-meridian, parallel control segments. METHODS: We used a four-electrode method to measure the electrical impedance along segments of the Pericardium and Spleen meridians and corresponding parallel control segments in 23 human subjects. Meridian segments were determined by palpation and proportional measurements. Connective tissue planes underlying those segments were imaged with an ultrasound scanner. Along each meridian segment, four gold-plated needles were inserted along a straight line and used as electrodes. A parallel series of four control needles were placed 0.8 cm medial to the meridian needles. For each set of four needles, a 3.3 kHz alternating (AC) constant amplitude current was introduced at three different amplitudes (20, 40, and 80 microAmps) to the outer two needles, while the voltage was measured between the inner two needles. Tissue impedance between the two inner needles was calculated based on Ohm's law (ratio of voltage to current intensity). RESULTS: At the Pericardium location, mean tissue impedance was significantly lower at meridian segments (70.4 +/- 5.7 Omega) compared with control segments (75.0 +/- 5.9 Omega) (p = 0.0003). At the Spleen location, mean impedance for meridian (67.8 +/- 6.8 Omega) and control segments (68.5 +/- 7.5 Omega) were not significantly different (p = 0.70). CONCLUSION: Tissue impedance was on average lower along the Pericardium meridian, but not along the Spleen meridian, compared with their respective controls. Ultrasound imaging of meridian and control segments suggested that contact of the needle with connective tissue may explain the decrease in electrical impedance noted at the Pericardium meridian. Further studies are needed to determine whether tissue impedance is lower in (1) connective tissue in general compared with muscle and (2) meridian-associated vs. non meridian-associated connective tissue.

Relationship of acupuncture points and meridians to connective tissue planes.

Acupuncture meridians traditionally are believed to constitute channels connecting the surface of the body to internal organs. We hypothesize that the network of acupuncture points and meridians can be viewed as a representation of the network formed by interstitial connective tissue. This hypothesis is supported by ultrasound images showing connective tissue cleavage planes at acupuncture points in normal human subjects. To test this hypothesis, we mapped acupuncture points in serial gross anatomical sections through the human arm. We found an 80% correspondence between the sites of acupuncture points and the location of intermuscular or intramuscular connective tissue planes in postmortem tissue sections. We propose that the anatomical relationship of acupuncture points and meridians to connective tissue planes is relevant to acupuncture's mechanism of action and suggests a potentially important integrative role for interstitial connective tissue.

CHROMASSI: a therapy advice system based on chrono-massage and acupression using the method of ZiWuLiuZhu.

Massage and Acupression have a history of many years of use by the Vietnamese people in the treatment of diseases, and they can give wonderful therapeutic effects in painful syndromes and chronic diseases, etc. On the other hand, some methods of Chrono-Acupuncture based on chronobiological theory and the holistic concept of traditional medicine are studied and applied in clinical applications. This paper presents the therapy advice system based on Chrono-Massage and Acupression using the method of ZiWuLiuZhu called CHROMASSI. The system includes four major parts. Massage and Acupression Teaching: This part can provide the user with some background in Massage and Acupression theory such as the pathology of the meridians, the classification of points and their function, the therapeutic properties of points, the methods of Massage and Acupression (including Pression, Friction, Rubbing, Light Massage, Petrissage, Rolling and Rubbing, Percussion and Vibration), and the direction of the meridians circulation, displaying AcuPoints represented by color pictures of the 12 main meridians and 2 vessels. More than 330 popular AcuPoints are used in the system. Open AcuPoint Calculating: This module can help us to calculate open AcuPoints based on data about days, months, years and hours using the special method of ZiWuLiuZhu. The Points adopted by ZiWuLiuZhu are the Five Shu Points and Source Points including 66 points (all of them are located below the elbows and knees). The effectiveness of these points becomes particularly evident when they are needled or punctured at optimum time intervals. For example, at 9:00 a.m., September 22, 1994, the open Points by the ZiWuLiuZhu method will be the points K2 (Nhien Coc) and K10 (Am Coc). According to the chronotherapeutic method, first we have to pressure (or puncture) the above points in order to attain the sensation RDac KhiS (arrival of energy), then pressure the other treating points as in ordinary Massage and Acupression. Therapy Consultation: Knowledge of the system was provided by Prof. Nguyen Van Thang and Doctor Nguyen Nhu Oanh at the Vietnam National Institute of Oriental Medicine. CHROMASSI is able to advise on ways to treat about 153 diseases and symptoms in the following fields: Aches and Pains, Insomnia, Common Cold and Influenza, Sexual Disturbances, Medical Aesthetics in Face, Breast and Buttock, Hygiene, Cardio-Vascular Tract, Digestive Tract, Urinary Tract, Respiratory Tract, Genital Tract, Ear-Nose-Throat Tract, Nervous Tract. The system can provide information about Remarks, Acupoints formulas for treating by Massage and Acupression with colour pictures of meridians. Explanation: The CHROMASSI system can explain why the AcuPoints are used for treating diseases based on the theoretical bases of traditional Vietnamese medicine and on the meridians and collaterals system theory. The colour pictures representing the circulation of vital energy in the meridians are used for explanation. The CHROMASSI system was developed in TURBO-PROLOG and TURBO-PASCAL and can run on IBM PC/AT computers and compatibles. The system can be used for teaching and for clinics of Massage and Acupression combined with Chronotherapeutics. At present the system is used by some physicians for clinical applications. The first results indicate that, in 20 cases of generalized headache compared with the control group, the combining of chronoacupression using the ZiWuLiuZhu method and ordinary Massage and Acupression gave better effects than that obtained by either method alone.