Anatomy & Physiology: Current Research
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0940
ISSN: 2161-0940
Li-Yuan Liu
Beijing Normal University, China
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Anat Physiol
Using whole body macro-autoradiography, the distribution of catecholamine in rat skin was localized, which are various pairs of symmetrical linear arrays running from the head through the back and to the hind limbs of the animal that we termed sympathetic substance lines (SSLs). By SPG method, concentrated clusters of noradrenergic nerve fibers innervated arrector pili (AP) muscles formed the SSLs. After shaving hairs of rats, the first wave of hair re-growth did not distribute everywhere, but along specific craniocaudally-oriented lines and merged to form loops, named hair-loop-lines (HLLs). When acupuncture was operated or phenylephrine was injected into the dermis at an acupoint of rats, a pilomotor line occurred. The course of HLL, SSL and pilomotor line correspond with each other and also with the â�?�?Meridiansâ�? described in Chinese traditional medicine. When the skin was incised or regitin was injected into the dermis along the SSL, the pilomotor line did not cross the site of incision or injection and acupuncture effect produced by stimulating the acupoint was blocked. When phenylephrine was injected into an acupoint, acupuncture analgesia was strongly simulated. These evidences suggest that the acupuncture signals are transmitted along certain skin pathways that are the SSLs, the HLLs, the pilomotor lines, or the Meridian lines and the transmission depends on �?±-receptor in the AP muscles or contraction of AP muscles. All these findings suggest a new structural and functional system in skin and a new type of horizontal signal transmission for regulation of body function. Other studies suggest that acupuncture is a technique of auto-regulation, bidirectional regulation and vibrating regulation.
Email: liu.liyuan@263.net