Fichas bibliogrficas:

1.- Vol.4, No.10, 775-780 (2012) Health doi:10.4236/health.2012.410120 The effects of application of an ancient type of acupuncture needle on body temperature, immune function and the autonomic nerve system Mayumi Watanabe1*#, Osamu Takano2*, Chikako Tomiyama3, Hiroaki Matsumoto1, Nobuatsu Urahigashi2, Eisuke Kainuma1, Takeo Madarame4, Minoru Fukuda5, Toru Abo1

1Department of Immunology, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata, Japan; #Corresponding Author: immunol2@med.niigata-u.ac.jp 2Urahigashi Veterinary Clinic, Osaka, Japan 3School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan 4Aoyama Madarame Clinic, Tokyo, Japan 5Fukuda Clinic, Niigata, Japan Received 27 August 2012; revised 25 September 2012; accepted 3 October 2012
ABSTRACT
The di-zhen (DZ) is an ancient type of acupuncture needle with a history dating back more than 2000 years. Unlike modern acupuncture needles, the DZ is not inserted subcutaneously, and is safely and commonly used at the bedside. The mechanisms underlying its effects are not known. In this study, we measured sublingual and cutaneous body temperature, pulse rate, oxygen pressure (PO 2), oxygen saturation (sO2) and carbon dioxide pressure (PCO2) before and after DZ application in 25 healthy male volunteers. Serum levels of catecholamines (adrena- line, noradrenaline and dopamine) and white blood cells (WBCs; ratio and number) were traced for one week. Soon after DZ application, pulse rate, body temperature, PO2 and sO2 all decreased. The serum levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline increased, indicating sympathetic dominance, and the number of granulocytes was elevated. One week after DZ application, the number of lymphocyte increased. We therefore suggest that DZ affects body temperature, pulse rate, catecholamine secretion and immune function by inducing transient sympathetic dominance via actions on the autonomic nervous system. These effects are similar to the effects observed with modern needles, which are inserted subcutaneously. Therefore, we con- sider DZ treatment to be advantageous and safe in modern clinical practice, especially in post-surgical and terminal care, as it avoids the issues with infection and tissue damage sometimes seen with modern acupuncture needles.

2.- Chinese Journal of Physiology 52(1): 1-7, 2009 1

DOI: 10.4077/CJP.2009.AMG070

Effects of Acupuncture at Neiguan (PC 6) on Electroencephalogram Shyang Chang1, Zhe-Gung Chang1, Shiun-Jeng Li1, Meng-Ju Chiang1, 2, ChiaMei Ma3, Hsiu-Yao Cheng4, and Sheng-Hwu Hsieh5
1Department of Electrical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University Hsinchu 300, Taiwan, ROC. 2Department of Computer and Communication Engineering, Nan Kai Institute of Technology Nantou 540, Taiwan, ROC. 3Department of Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Beijing 100029, PRC. 4Department of Chemistry, Tunghai University Taichung 407, Taiwan, ROC. 5Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine Taipei 10507, Taiwan, ROC.

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate if there were any effects on the electroencephalogram (EEG) of human brain by the manual stimulation of Neiguan (PC 6) acupuncture site. In this paper, two groups of six healthy male volunteers of ages 27.6 14.2 (mean SD) and 28.5 13.0 (mean SD) and no neurological disease participated in this study. A digital storage of 12-channel EEG recorder was used and spectral analyses of the data set of 18 trials were obtained before, during, and after sham/ manual acupuncture. To minimize artefacts, all data were collected with the subjects alert but eyes closed. No significant changes (P > 0.05) were obtained for the sham acupuncture group. As for the manual acupuncture group, the needle was inserted perpendicularly into the PC 6 acupuncture site and manually stimulated about 15 to 30 seconds to achieve De Qi sensation. Needles were left in place for 30 min and then removed. Analysis of the EEG data due to acupuncture was compared to the baseline data and changes were obtained. First, all trials had an increase in the amplitude and power of the alpha band during manual acupuncture (P < 0.05) when compared with the baseline data. Secondly, in the meantime, the frequency peaks in alpha band of 12-channels were all synchronized with much smaller standard deviation (P < 0.01). Thirdly, the manual acupuncture effects of higher power and synchronized frequencies persisted for at least 10 minutes after the experiment (P < 0.05) and did not disappear immediately for all 18 experiments. Finally, we hypothesized that the higher power and synchronized rhythms in brain oscillations may have to do with autonomic nervous system. Key Words: acupuncture, EEG, synchronization of rhythms, brain oscillation

3.- Advance Access Publication 23 January 2008 eCAM 2010;7(2)169176

doi:10.1093/ecam/nem187

Acupuncture Effects on Cardiac Functions Measured by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in a Feline Model Jen-Hsou Lin1, Chen-Haw Shih2, Krishna Kaphle1, Leang-Shin Wu1, Weng-Yih Tseng3, Jen-Hwey Chiu4, Tzu-chi Lee5 and Ying-Ling Wu2 1Department of Animal Science Technology, 2Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, 3Center for Optoelectronic Biomedicine, National Taiwan University Medical College, 4Department of Traditional Medicine, National Yang-Ming University and 5Institute of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan
The usefulness of acupuncture (AP) as a complementary and/or alternative therapy in animals is well established but more research is needed on its clinical efficacy relative to conventional therapy, and on the underlying mechanisms of the effects of AP. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI), an important tool in monitoring cardiovascular diseases, provides a reliable method to monitor the effects of AP on the cardiovascular system. This controlled experiment monitored the effect electro-acupuncture (EA) at bilateral acupoint Neiguan (PC6) on recovery time after ketamine/xylazine cocktail anesthesia in healthy cats. The CMRI data established the basic feline cardiac function index (CFI), including cardiac output and major vessel velocity. To evaluate the effect of EA on the functions of the autonomic nervous and cardiovascular systems, heart rate, respiration rate, electrocardiogram and pulse rate were also measured. Ketamine/xylazine cocktail anesthesia caused a transient hypertension in the cats; EA inhibited this anesthetic-induced hypertension and shortened the post-anesthesia recovery time. Our data support existing knowledge on the cardiovascular benefits of EA at PC6, and also provide strong evidence for the combination of anesthesia and EA to shorten postanesthesia recovery time and counter the negative effects of anesthetics on cardiac physiology. Keywords: acupoint anesthesia cats CFI CMRI electro-acupuncture (EA) Neiguan PC6