[Elucidation of the national standard for Standardized Manipulation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Part VII: Skin needle].

The importance of standardization, the main content and important cautions in the Standardized Manipulation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Part VII: Skin Needle are introduced briefly in this paper. It standardizes the stimulation intensity, the tapped needling location, the course of treatment and the interval between treatments. It elucidates the key points, the difficulty and the important cautions in clinical practices. In order to promote the standardization and its implementation, it also states the experiences of establishing the national standard of acupuncture and moxibustion manipulations.

[Influence of electroacupuncture of "Daling"(PC 7) on heart rate, duration of arrhythmia and plasma vasoactive intestinal peptide contents in ventricular tachycardia rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on heart rate (HR), arrhythmia duration, and plasma vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) level in ventricular tachycardia (VT) rats so as to study its underlying adjustment mechanism. METHODS: A total of 70 SD rats were randomly divided into normal control, model (VT), "Daling" (PC 7, EA-PC 7) and "Taiyuan" (LU 9, EA-LU 9) groups. VT model was duplicated by injection of CsCI (2 mol/L, 1.6 mmoL/kg, femoral vein). EA (2 Hz/15 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to "Daling" (PC 7) and "Taiyuan" (LU 9) for 5 min after inserting acupuncture needles. BL-410 Biofunctional System was used to record the ECG of the standard limb lead II, and plasma VIP content assayed by using radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Following intravenous injection of CsCI, HR increased significantly in model, EA-PC 7 and EA-LU 9 groups (P < 0.05). Compared to model group, HR at 5 min, 10 min and 15 min after administration of CsCI and the duration of arrhythmia in EA-PC 7 group decreased considerably (P < 0.01). No significant differences were found between EA-LU 9 and model groups in HR and the duration of arrhythmia (P > 0.05). Compared with normal group, the content of plasma VIP in model group decreased apparently (P < 0.05), while in comparison with model group, plasma VIP level in EA-PC 7 group increased considerably (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture of "Daling" (PC7) can effectively suppress CsCI-induced tachycardia which may be closely associated with its effect in reducing plasma VIP level.

[Effect of electroacupuncture of "Neiguan" (PC 6) on heart rate and plasma catecholamine contents in ventricular tachycardia rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of "Neiguan" (PC 6) on heart rate (HR) and plasma catecholamine (CA) levels in ventricular tachycardia (VT) rats. METHODS: A total of 50 SD rats were randomly divided into normal control, sham-operation (sham), model, EA-PC 6 and EA-LU 7 groups, with 10 cases in each. VT model was established by intravenous injection of cesium chloride (CsCl) via femoral vein. Electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded. EA (2 Hz/15 Hz, 1 mA) was separately applied to bilateral "Neiguan" (PC 6) and "Lieque" (LU 7) for 5 minutes, followed by collecting blood samples for detecting plasma norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E) levels with fluorometric method. RESULTS: In comparison with normal control group, plasma NE and E contents in model group increased apparently (P < 0.01). Compared with model group, HR and plasma NE and E contents of EA-PC 6 group reduced significantly (P < 0.01), while those of EA-LU 7 had no apparent change (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: EA of "Neiguan" (PC 6) can downregulate heart rate and plasma CA level in VT rats, which may contribute to its effect in relieving tachycardia.

[Influence of electroacupuncture of "Shuigou" (GV 26) on hippocampal CGRP and NPY contents in cerebral ischemia rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the contents of hippocampal calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in cerebral ischemia (CI) rats. METHODS: Forty SD rats were randomly divided into normal control, sham operation (sham), model and EA groups with 10 cases in each. CI model was duplicated by middle cerebral artery occlusion. EA (2 Hz, 1 mA, continuous waves) was applied to "Shuigou" (GV 26) for 30 min, once daily for 5 days. Hippocampal tissue was taken for assaying the contents of CGRP and NPY with radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Compared with sham group and normal control group, hippocampal CGRP content in model group decreased apparently (P<0.01), while NPY content of model group increased significantly (P<0.01). Compared with model group, hippocampal CGRP in EA group increased considerably (P<0.01) and NPY content decreased obviously (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture of GV26 can effectively adjust hippocampal CGRP and NPY contents in CI rats, which may contribute to its effect in improving cerebral ischemia.

[Study on dual-directional regulation induced by acupuncture at different acupoints in the rat with motility abnormality of the stomach].

OBJECTIVE: To probe into the bidirectional regulation of acupuncture in the rat with motility abnormality of the stomach and the nerve mechanism. METHODS: Adopting electrophysiological methods, the extracellular discharge signals of neuronic action in NTS were recorded with glass microelectrodes. The effects of acupuncture at "Zusanli" (ST 36), "Neiguan" (PC 6), "Zhongwan" (CV 12), "Qihai" (CV 6) on discharges of NTS neurons and intra-gastric pressure were observed in the rat at normal physiological state, and increase or reduction of gastric motility. RESULTS: Acupuncture at "Zusanli" (ST 36), "Neiguan" (PC 6) could significantly promote gastric motility of the rat at normal status, increase or reduction of gastric motion, while acupuncture at "Zhongwan" (CV 12), "Qihai" (CV 6) could significantly inhibit gastric motion. And acupuncture at all the above acupoints could activate discharges of NTS neurons. CONCLUSION: The bidirectional regulation effect of an acupoint does not certainly indicate that the same point has bidirectional regulation effect on an internal organs at different pathological states, while this may show synthetic action of different points which is a good regulation towards normal states and homeostasis.

[The role of endogenous opioid peptides in paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus in the antagonism to myocardial ischemia by electroacupuncture at acupoint "Neiguan" (PC 6)].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture at "Neiguan" (PC 6) antagonizing myocardial ischemia injury. METHODS: Forty rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups, model control group, naloxone control group, electroacupuncture plus cerebral spinal fluid group, and electroacupuncture plus naloxone group, 10 rabbits in each group. The effects of electroacupuncture at "Neiguan" (PC 6) after injection of naloxone into the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus on myocardial ultrastructure, II lead ECG and transmembrane potentials of the ischemic myocardial cell in the rabbit of myocardial ischemia were investigated. RESULTS: The injection of naloxone into PVN has no effect on myocardial functions in the normal rabbit and a little effect on ischemic myocardial functions, but at 60 min after myocardial ischemia, this has a certain protective action on myocardial functions (P < 0.05); electroacupuncture at "Neiguan" has obvious protective action on ischemic myocardium, which can be reduced by injection of naloxone into PVN (P < 0.05), but can not be blocked. CONCLUSION: (1) PVN plays an important role in the process of antagonizing myocardial ischemia by electroacupuncture at "Neiguan"; (2) endogenous opioid pepetides in PVN are involved in the acupuncture effect of antagonizing myocardial ischemia; (3) other transmitters in PVN and other nucleus groups in the center also can produce obvious effects in the antagonism to myocardial ischemia by electroacupuncture at "Neiguan".