[Influence of mechanical pressure applied on the stomach meridian upon the effectiveness of acupuncture of zusanli].

Traditional Chinese Medicine holds that meridians is the regulative system of the functional activity of the human body. According to the theory of meridians there is a relatively specific connection between the acupoint and viscus. Not a few researchers have paid much attention to this problem. Our previous report showed the mechanical pressure could block the borborygmi caused by puncturing Zusanli (ST 36) in the subjects with marked propagated sensation along meridians (PSM). This paper deals with experiments to compare the influence of pressing the meridian course and non-meridian point on electrogastrogram (EGG) during puncturing Zusanli in 33 subjects without PSM. The acupoint Liangqiu (ST 34) was selected as a compressed point and the points on its either side as controls. EGG was recorded with surface non-polarizable electrode from two abdominal points corresponding to the areas of corpus ventriculi and antrum pyloricum. The effect of acupuncture on EGG appeared in two kind of responses which depended on the amplitude of EGG before acupuncture. The amplitude of EGG increased if it was low before acupuncture. On the contrary, it decreased. The response was bi-directional. It is particular to be noticed that the acupuncture effect was markedly influenced by mechanical pressure. When the pressure was applied on acupoint Liangqiu the acupuncture effect markedly decreased, even disappeared. Whereas mechanical pressure was applied on the both side of Liangqiu, an influence on acupuncture effect of EGG could not be found.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)