Effects of different acupuncture stimulations on NO content in acupoint areas.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of different acupuncture stimulation on nitric oxide (NO) content in acupoint areas. METHODS: The experiment was performed in 47 healthy volunteers providing informed consents. Both males and females were included in each group: 11 cases in electro-acupuncture group, 13 cases in manual-acupuncture group, 16 cases in warm-moxibustion group, and 7 cases in control group. Stimulations were given at Jianshi (PC 5) of the Pericardium Meridian and Chengshan (BL 57) of the Bladder Meridian with manual-acupuncture, electro-acupuncture and warm-moxibustion respectively. NO was collected from Ximen (PC 4) and Chengjin (BL 56) areas on the ipsilateral meridians, and the content was detected. RESULTS: The content of NO in the warm-moxibustion group was higher than that in the electro-acupuncture group, the content in electro-acupuncture group was higher than that in the manual acupuncture group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: All the three stimulations can raise NO levels on acupoint areas significantly, and the effect moxibustion is superior to that of electro-acupuncture and manual acupuncture.