Zhongguo Yi Xue Ke Xue Yuan Xue Bao. 1997 Oct; 19(5): 379-83.

[Spinal segment distribution of neural innervation related houhai acupoint--studied by CB-HRP tracing method focused on observation of the dendrites of spinal motor neurons]

Tan H, Shi G, Lin J, Liu K, Zuo Z.

Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, CAMS, Beijing.

The spinal segment distribution of neural innervation related Houhai acupoint in rats has been investigted by using horseradish peroxidase conjugated cholera toxin B subunit (CB-HRP) tracing technique. Spinal motoneurons (Mn) in L6-S1 were labeled retrogradely by CB-HRP, and their features have been characterized: 1) their marginal plexus of the dendrites radially projected to the lateral and/or anterior funiculus and their distal portions forming subpial dendritic plexus; 2) the medial dendrites ran along the ventral margin of the gray commissure and their distal portions surrounded the central canal' forming a subependymal dendritic plexus. Both of them are Golgi-phobic. Some distal branches of dendrites penetrated to the contralateral gray matter. The dendritic arbors of the labeled motoneurons in the group of electro-acupuncture or group of acupoint-inoculation with sheep red blood cells contracted in comparison with that in the normal control group. The primary sensory transganglionic labeled fibers and preterminal fibers revealed by CB-HRP in the dorsal horn and dorsal commissural nucleus of the spinal cord (L5-S2) converged and overlaped with the dendrites of retrogradely labeled motoneurons. The results indicated there is a reflect circuit of afferent-integration-efferent neuro-network in the spinal cord related Houhai acupoint. The Mns retrogradely labeled by CB-HRP in the L6-S1 segments might be involved in Houhai acupuncture.