A Radiology Study on Acupoints
Objective To explore visible structural characteristics of acupoints and mechanism of acupuncture with CT and MRI. Methods First, 240 acupoints on 6 corpse were marked before 16-slice CT and MRI images of these corpse acquisition respectively. Then three-dimensional reconstruction of these images was done on working station. Finally, these image data with acupoints marked were analyzed with program to find out the rules of their distribution. Results The results showed that acupoints recorded in Traditional Chinese Medicine literature distributed mainly in the entire fascia tissue, and the majority of the them in the connective tissues of the intermuscular septum. Most of the acupoints in the head were to be stimulated to the depths of the dermal dense and subcutaneous loose connective tissues; The acupoints on the limbs were usually stimulated to the depths of the loose connective tissue in the intermuscular septum and that around the neurovascular tract; The acupoints for needling on the back and abdomen were located, in general, at the loose connective tissue in the intermuscular septum, but part of the acupoints on the abdomen were at the loose connective tissue of the hilus of the visceral organs. Conclusion We found that acupoints were mainly located where fascias cross and converge, especially where the interstitial connective tissues were present. Sensitive nerve endings, capillary vessels, active cells and lymphatic vessels were abounded in these areas, and needling at these sites may induce definite biological effects. It may be the mechanism that acupuncture therapy cures some diseases by neural reflex, neuroendocrine, autoimmunity regulation and other access. The fascial network itself with so many acupoints distributing and functioning in it maybe a system not only provides a soft support of the body but also maintains the systemic balance by regulating the neural reflexes, neuroendocrine activity, neuroimmunity, and by repairing the cell and tissue injuries. In light of developmental biology, we know that in multicellular organisms, mesenchyme is derived from jelly-like extracellular fluid (ECF) and further differentiates into many cell types, tissues, even organs. In higher creatures like human beings, mesenchyme gives rise to all the fascial tissue throughout the body. The fasciae form a framework of connective tissues to support the growth of cells of all functional organs except for the central nerve system, and therefore this framework can be regarded as one of the essential elements of the internal environment for all kinds of living cells. Therefore, we put forward a hypothesis that an auto-surveillance and rehabilitation system may exist in the human body, which differs essentially from the nine established functional systems. We coined the term FASCIAOLOGY to denote the bulk of research on this 10th system, where biologically valid explanations for the fundamental mechanisms of acupuncture therapy may be found. This hypothesis may also open a new area for research and bring forward many scientific questions.
CT MRI Radiology TCM acupoints connective tissue fascia Acupuncture mechanism
Chunlei Wang Jun Wang Jingpeng Wu Lin Yuan
Department of Anatomy, the South Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
国际会议
首届国际断层影像解剖学研讨会(The 1st International Symposium on Sectional and Inaging Anatomy)
青岛
英文
25
2007-12-15（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）