经穴氧特异性研究的现状和思考

经穴的氧特异性研究已经经历了近30年的历程,研究结果显示经穴组织在氧及相关化合物的含量上与非经穴组织具有差异性。虽然各个学者的研究的方法不尽相同,研究的结果也不太一致,甚至出现完全相反的结果,但我们对这些文献进行了系统的归纳、分析后认为,经穴局部组织在针刺前处于低代谢状态,经穴局部氧含量高于非经穴,二氧化碳(CO_2)含量低于非经穴组织;针刺后经穴处于高代谢状态,经穴局部氧含量经过消耗低于针刺前,的释放增加高于针刺前。在针刺前,经穴组织的一氧化氮(NO)含量高于非经穴组织,针刺后,经穴组织的NO含量相比未针刺的经穴含量更高。但经穴氧特异性的研究在某些方面尚存在一些争议,今后,关于经穴氧特异性的研究应多考虑设计方法的严谨性、实验条件的可重复性、受试者的同质性,并注重切合临床,采用临床病例观察得气效应、临床疗效等,以使经穴氧特异性的研究更加具有实践指导意义。

A Systematical Review of Researches on Oxygen Specificity in the Acupoint Area

Oxygen,an important substance for metabolism,and its related nitric oxide(NO)and carbon dioxide(CO_2)play a key role in regulating physiological activities.The study on the characteristics of oxygen in the acupoint region has been being conducted for nearly 30 years.In the present paper,the authors review recent development of researches on changes of partial oxygen pressure(PO2),NO,and CO_2 levels in the acupoint regions.Some researches demonstrated that the PO2,CO_2 and NO contents are relatively higher in some acupoints as Zusanli(ST 36),etc.in comparison with the neighbor tissues or nonacupoints under normal and pathological states in severe infection patients and rats.After acupuncture stimulation,CO_2 and NO contents were increased,while PO2 content was increased or lowered in some acupoints not in non-acupoints.However,there were also some arguments about the conclusions of acupoint oxygen specificity.In order to verify the results of acupoint oxygen specificity researches,more attentions should be paid to the precise experimental design,repeatable experimental conditions,homogeneity of subjects,human body observation,Deqi effect of acupuncture needle manipulation,etc.in the future studies.