Based On Brain Imaging Techniques To Explore Two-way Regulating Effect Mechanism Of Acupuncture Too Brook Acupuncture Point

BackgroundThe bidirectional regulation of acupuncture was to adjust the balance of excitatory and inhibitory states. The ultimate aim was to adjust the abnormal pathological state back to or tend to normal physiological state of our body, which is the same as’harmonious state of Yin and Yang’in basic theory of TCM. The bidirectional regulation of acupuncture is one of the important characteristics of the basic theory of Acupuncture. Acupuncture, as a clinical therapy for treatment, has a history of thousands of years, but its therapeutic mechanism is still not clear. The study of bidirectional regulation of acupuncture has always been an important research project.The effect of bidirectional regulation of acupuncture has a close relationship with acupoint speciality, acupoints compatibility, functional status of body, stimulating method of acupuncture and treatment opportunity. Functional status of body was the basis of bidirectional adjusting function of acupuncture.Acupuncturing at the special point, as a form of output stimulation, may activate specific part of central nervous system firstly, then controls our nerves, endocrine and fluid network, and influences the target organs finally. A lot of researches have already confirmed that peripheral organs had a close relationship with brain. Pro. LAI Xinsheng put forward:"acupoints-brain relation hypothesis"—Human body as an organism, the reaction and regulating action of acupuncture for target organs should through the adjustment and integration of our central system—brain (transportation and transformation of information), thus realize the treatment effect. On that basis, the bidirectional benign adjustment was an therapeutic effect of acupuncturing at acupoint, which was showed in the central level. That means it has close correlation between bidirectional benign adjustment of acupuncturing and brain.The21st century is "the century of the brain". Brain Science is the world’s scientific frontier. The great progress of brain technology have created favorable conditions for the exploring of the secret effect between acupoints and brain. With the development of functional brain imaging techniques, especially for the technology of positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging have become more and more mature, the study of acupuncture on central system entered a new field. Unl i ke the previous technology, cerebral function imaging could be used for the study of acupuncture on brain functional state dynamically, which is in non-invasive state, and in the level of living and holistic and achieve functional visualization. In the brain functional imaging techniques, positive and negative activation of brain could reflect function adjusting state of our brain, from which we can observe the bidirectional benign adjustment of acupuncturing at acupoint. Functional visualization method has special significance in the mechanism study of acupuncture.ObjectiveTo observe the effect of acupuncture KI6on cerebral function imaging in AD model rats and MCI patients on the basis of systematic review of the literature. Compared acupoint with nonacupoint, from animal experiment to clinical trails, from the perspective of positive and negative activation of brain functional metabolism to observe the central effect rule and mechanism of bidirectional benign adjustment of acupuncturing at KI3.MethodsPathological state of the memory decline as a research vehicle. Yuan (source) point in the kidney meridian of Foot Shaoyin-KI3as study points. Randomized controlled rule was followed in this study. In animal experiments, the small animal PET technique and compound AD rat model, which was established by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose and bilateral nbM injection of Ibotenic acid(IBO), were adopted. In clinical trial, to observe the difference of the brain resting state fMRI between MCI patients and normal people, in order to identify the blood oxygenation level in pathological brain regions. Then to observe the influence of twisting Taixi (KI3) on the brain functional magnetic resonance imaging, and compare with sham point, to deeper elucidate the specificities of acupuncture at acupoints KI3in pathological states. To observe the effect of acupuncture at acupoints KI3and nonacupoint on brain glucose metabolism in AD rat model. Statistical analysis, the Y-maze data was analyzed by the method of repetitive measure anova, and the imaga data was analyzed by SPM2based on voxel-based analysis method.ResultsIn animal experiments, the compound AD rats appeared pathological characteristics of aging and meynert nucleus damaged:slow-moving, hypotrichosis and learning and memory decline. On brain activity, compared with normal group, the level of glucose metabolism of model group rats decreased significantly in right parietal Lobe (sensory cortex), left striatum and accumbens nucleus, and increased obviously in right mesencephalon: tegmentum, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, pons:tegmentum, mesencephalon: superior colliculus, dorsal Thalamus:lateral nucleus group, hypothalamus: preoptic region, corpus callosum, left pons:tegmentum and parietal lobe (sensory cortex). Acupuncture at righe KI3of AD mordel rats could activate the low glucose metabolism brain regions, and decrease the high glucose metabolism brain regions. Compared with nonacupoint group, this effect was more obvious.In clinical trial, on the one hand, in the rest state of fMRI, compared with normal group, the level of the blood oxygenation metabolism In MCI group patients decreased significantly in frontal lobe(BA6), limbic lobe(BA24) and temporal lobe(BA38). No increased metabolism of brain regions were found.at the same time, acupuncture at KI3activated not only the pathological region (BA6), but also other regions, such as frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe and insula. Acupuncture at sham point activated some barin regions, such as parietal lobe (BA40) and temporal lobe(BA22). Negative activation of brain regions were not found in KI3and model groups.ConclusionAcupuncturing at KI3has bidirectional benign adjustment on brain functional metabolism, which was expressed in positive and negative activation of brain. That means it could reduce the high metabolism of brain regions and activate the low metabolism of brain regions. Compared to the nonacupoint, the bidirectional benign adjustment of KI3was obvious and holistic, which was like the relationship from point to side, and had double effects:targeting activation and wide activation. This targeting effect indicated the specificities of acupoints for treatment effect, and wide effect showed the concept of holism, which was the basic characteristic of acupunture in TCM. These results confirm the validity of "acupoints-brain relation hypothesis" to some degree.