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Purines Change at Acupoints along the Pericardium Meridian in Healthy and Myocardial Ischemic Rats

  • Acupuncture Research
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Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To quantify the purine concentrations of the acupoints along the pericardium and nonpericardium meridians under healthy and myocardial ischemia conditions to investigate the relationship between acupoint purine change and body functional status in rats.

Methods

A total of 70 rats underwent an operation for myocardial ischemia, while 40 of them survived. They were randomly assigned to the following 5 subgroups: Neiguan (PC 6), Quze (PC 3), Tianquan (PC 2), Quchi (LI 11), and Jianyu (LI 15). Simultaneously, another 40 healthy rats were also randomized into the same 5 subgroups as the control group. The tissue fluids at the acupoints were collected by microdialysis for 30 min. Subsequently, the concentration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine monophosphate (AMP), and adenosine (ADO) were quantified using the high-performance liquid chromatography method.

Results

Compared with the healthy group, the ADO at PC 6 (P=0.012), PC 3 (P=0.038), PC 2 (P=0.024), and LI 15 (P=0.042) obviously increased in the model group, while no significant difference was observed at LI 11 (P=0.201). However, ATP, ADP, and AMP manifested no significant changes in these areas, except for ATP at LI 15 (P=0.036).

Conclusions

Myocardial ischemia could induce an increase in ADO at acupoints of the upper arm and shoulder area, suggesting that the body functional status could affect the responsiveness of acupoints. The status of these acupoints could be pathogenically activated by disease, and distribution following some specific courses.

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Acknowledgement

We are grateful to all the participants and staffs in the trial.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610075, China

    Yu-mei Zhou, Ding-jun Cai, Pei-ran Lv, Jie Zhou, Min Wan, Yu-lan Ren & Fan-rong Liang

  2. The Second Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China

    Yi Zhuang

Authors
  1. Yu-mei Zhou
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  2. Yi Zhuang
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  3. Ding-jun Cai
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  4. Pei-ran Lv
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  5. Jie Zhou
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  6. Min Wan
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  7. Yu-lan Ren
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  8. Fan-rong Liang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fan-rong Liang.

Additional information

Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81590951, 81373559, 81373561 and 81573885), the State Key Program for Basic Research of China (No. 2012CB518501), and the Project of the Second Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine (No. RLZZ201605)

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Zhou, Ym., Zhuang, Y., Cai, Dj. et al. Purines Change at Acupoints along the Pericardium Meridian in Healthy and Myocardial Ischemic Rats. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 25, 285–291 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-018-2932-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-018-2932-8

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