[Advances in the study on the role of connective tissue in the mechanical signal transduction of acupuncture]  


Author: Jiang XM, Zhang XQ, Yuan L. 

Affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. 
Conference/Journal: Zhen Ci Yan Jiu
Date published: 2009 Apr
Other:
 Volume ID: 34   ,  Issue ID: 2   ,  Pages: 136-9   ,  Special Notes: [Article in Chinese]    ,  Word Count: 129  
    Non-specific connective tissue (fascia connective tissue) plays an important role in the mechanical signal transduction of acupuncture. Acupuncture needle manipulation-induced mechanical stress has a certain effect on the fibroblasts and cytoskeleton in the nonspecific connective tissue (including loose connective tissue and fat tissue) in morphology, histochemistry and biochemistry. For example, acupuncture-needle manipulation can make the fibroblast deformed, the cytoskeleton remodeled and result in the release of biochemical materials from the connective tissue. The present review summarizes new results of studies on the effect of acupuncture needle manipulation from cytobiology, imageology and physiology; and holds that making clear the transduction pathways of acupuncture mechanical stress signals in the connective tissue and its impact on the organism possesses an important significance in revealing the mechanism of acupuncture underlying clinical therapeutic effects.