Graduate Institute of Chinese Medical Science, China Medical University Taichung, Taichung, Taiwan, China.
Chin J Integr Med. 2011 Mar;17(3):177-86. doi: 10.1007/s11655-011-0664-8.
Traditional Chinese acupuncture has a history of over 2500 years. It is effective in the treatment of many conditions with few side effects. The best known mechanism is via endogenous opiates and their receptors. In addition to opioids, researchers have focused on the role of central monoamimergic systems. Acupuncture therapy is used not only to relieve pain but also to treat various medical conditions in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Some experiments have revealed a relationship between acupuncture and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Besides, electroacupuncture (EA) can modulate the imbalance between innate and acquired immune systems. This review is focusing on the mechanistic studies of acupuncture that my colleagues and I have performed in Taiwan in recent years. We found that EA analgesia was closely related to not only the serotonergic neurons but also the adrenergic neurons in the central nervous system. The electrophysiological recordings suggested the involvement of the cerebral cortex in acupuncture. Local somatothermal stimulation inhibited the motility of sphincter of Oddi and internal anal sphincter through nitrergic neural release of nitric oxide. Mild local heat stress upregulated hepatic gene expression of heat shock protein 70 and protected the liver from subsequent ischemia-reperfusion injury. These studies supplement the knowledge of the mechanism of acupuncture.
传统中医针灸已有超过 2500 年的历史。它在治疗许多疾病方面非常有效，副作用很少。最著名的机制是通过内源性阿片类物质及其受体。除了阿片类物质，研究人员还关注中枢单胺能系统的作用。针灸疗法不仅用于缓解疼痛，还用于治疗中医中的各种疾病。一些实验揭示了针灸与自主神经系统（ANS）之间的关系。此外，电针（EA）可以调节先天和获得性免疫系统之间的失衡。本综述重点介绍了我和我的同事近年来在台湾进行的针灸机制研究。我们发现，EA 镇痛不仅与 5-羟色胺能神经元有关，而且与中枢神经系统中的肾上腺素能神经元有关。电生理学记录表明大脑皮层参与了针灸。局部躯体热刺激通过释放一氧化氮的 nitrergic 神经抑制Oddi 括约肌和内肛括约肌的运动。轻度局部热应激上调肝热休克蛋白 70 的基因表达，从而保护肝脏免受随后的缺血再灌注损伤。这些研究补充了针灸机制的知识。
