Local Cutaneous Nerve Terminal and Mast Cell Responses to Manual Acupuncture in Acupoint LI4 Area of the Rats

Publication date: Available online 3 July 2015 Source:Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy Author(s): Mei-Ling Wu , Dong-Sheng Xu , Wan-Zhu Bai , Jing-Jing Cui , Hong-Ming Shu , Wei He , Xiao-Yu Wang , Hong Shi , Yang-Shuai Su , Ling Hu , Bing Zhu , Xiang-Hong Jing Previous studies have shown that the effects of manual acupuncture (MA) are contributed by collagen fibers and mast cells in local acupoints, at which acupuncture stimulation causes various afferent fiber groups to be excited. However what happens in local nerve fibers and mast cells after MA remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the response of cutaneous nerve fibers and mast cells to MA stimulation in acupoint Hegu (LI4). The contralateral LI4 of the same rat was used as a non-stimulated control. Immnohistochemistry analysis were carried out to observe the expression of histamine (HA), serotonin (5-HT) and nociceptive neuropeptides, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP), in the LI4 area. Mast cells were labeled with anti-mast cell tryptase antibody and simultaneously with HA or 5-HT primary antibodies to observe their co-expression. Our results showed that SP and CGRP were expressed more highly on the cutaneous nerve fibers of LI4 after MA stimulation than that of the control. Mast cells aggregated in close proximity to the blood vessels in intra-epidermis and dermis and some of them with degranulation in the lower dermis and subcutaneous tissue of LI4. Both mast ...
Source: Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research