Am J Chin Med. 1988 ; 16(3-4): 159-67.

An electron microscopic study of the acupuncture or moxibustion stimulated regional skin and lymph node in experimental animals.

Kimura M, Mastrogiovanni F, Toda S, Kuroiwa K, Tohya K, Sugata R, Ohnishi M.

Kansai College of Acupuncture Medicine, Sennan, Osaka, Japan.

Ultrastructures of the electro-acupuncture or moxibustion stimulated skin and regional lymph nodes in experimental animals were examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. In the scanning electron microscopy, small numbers of infiltrating erythrocytes and lymphocytes were found in the vicinity of the penetrated acupuncture needle in the acupuncture-stimulated skin, whereas moxibustion-treated instances revealed a large number of immunocyte infiltrations in the region. Transmission electron microscopically revealed that immunocytes consisted of lymphocytes, monocytes and some granulocytes and mast cells. In addition, the moxibustion-stimulated regional lymph nodes increased in weight after the stimulation and induced numerous immunocyte influx through afferent lymphatics. The acupuncture-stimulated nodes, however, revealed no remarkable change in the weight and morphology. A functional significance of the acupuncture and moxibustion-stimulated skin and regional nodes was discussed in reference to previous immunohistological descriptions of immune-reacted lymph node of the same animals.