MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province210095, China.
Microsc Microanal. 2020 Jun;26(3):575-588. doi: 10.1017/S1431927620001518.
Telocytes (TCs) are very long, non-neuronal, somatic cells whose function is widely believed to be involved in providing connections between different cells within the body. The cellular characteristics of TCs in various organs have been studied by immunohistochemistry, double immunofluorescence and electron microscopy in different vertebrate species, and here we investigate the proposed properties of these cells in the context of the "meridian" in Chinese Traditional Medicine (CTM). The results show that TCs and their long extensions, telopodes (Tps) develop a complicated network by homo- and heterocellular junctions in the connective tissue throughout the body, which can connect the skin with distant organs. In concept, this is the analogue of ancient meridian maps connecting skin acupoints with the viscera. Various active cells and extracellular vesicles including exosomes move along Tps, which, along with developed mitochondria within the podoms of Tps, may account for the structural evidence for "Qi" (vital energy and signal communication) in CTM. Morphological associations of TCs with the nerve, vascular, endocrine, and immune systems are also compatible with previously proposed meridian theories in CTM. Close relationships exist between TCs and collagen fiber bundles and some structures in skin fascia provide the microanatomical support for acupuncture treatment based on the meridian principle. The dynamicity in the distribution and structure of TCs reflects the plasticity of the meridian at the cellular level. As the same attribute, both the meridian and the TC have been associated with various diseases. Here, we summarize structural analogues between the TC and the meridian, suggesting that TCs have the cytological characteristics of the CTM meridian. We, therefore, hypothesize that TCs are the "essence cells" of the CTM meridian, which can connect and integrate different cells and structures in the connective tissue.
电传细胞（TCs）是非常长的非神经元体细胞，其功能被广泛认为涉及提供体内不同细胞之间的连接。已经在不同的脊椎动物物种中通过免疫组织化学、双重免疫荧光和电子显微镜研究了各种器官中的 TCs 的细胞特征，在这里我们根据中医（CTM）中的“经络”研究这些细胞的特性。结果表明，TCs 及其长延伸部——telopodes（Tps）通过同种和异细胞连接在整个身体的结缔组织中形成复杂的网络，可将皮肤与远处的器官连接起来。从概念上讲，这是连接皮肤穴位和内脏的古代经络图的类似物。各种活跃的细胞和细胞外囊泡，包括外泌体，沿着 Tps 移动，而 Tps 内的 podoms 中的发达线粒体，可能解释了 CTM 中“气”（生命能量和信号通讯）的结构证据。TCs 与神经、血管、内分泌和免疫系统的形态关联也与 CTM 中以前提出的经络理论相符。TCs 与胶原纤维束之间存在密切关系，皮肤筋膜中的一些结构为基于经络原理的针灸治疗提供了微观解剖学支持。TCs 分布和结构的动态变化反映了经络在细胞水平上的可塑性。由于具有相同的属性，经络和 TCs 都与各种疾病有关。在这里，我们总结了 TCs 与经络之间的结构类似物，表明 TCs 具有 CTM 经络的细胞学特征。因此，我们假设 TCs 是 CTM 经络的“本质细胞”，可以连接和整合结缔组织中的不同细胞和结构。
