CHEMICAL, MORPHOLOGICAL & FUNCTIONAL STUDY OF MERIDIANS

描述：（改编自申请人的摘要）-经络系统是 针灸的中心理论，并作为指导原则， 许多替代疗法的诊断和治疗。调查人员 在人类和动物身上都证明了穴位/经络具有 低电阻的特性。主要研究者 最近发现，神经元型一氧化氮合酶（nNOS）蛋白水平和 一氧化氮（NO）含量在三个经络皮肤一致增加 低皮肤电阻点（LSRP）的区域。校长 研究者的组织化学检查显示nNOS表达是 神经纤维、轴突、神经元和毛囊的数量显著增加， 经络/穴位。与NO的假定作用一致，LSRP为 在大鼠和正常小鼠中表现出来。相反，在nNOS敲除小鼠中， 阻力增加。此外，初步数据表明，外源性NO 降低LSRP中的阻力，同时通过阻断减弱反应 去甲肾上腺素能功能。主要研究者假设：1）否 是一种重要的经络化学物质，皮肤中nNOS表达增强是一种重要的经络化学物质。 经络/穴位结构的组织化学标记物，和2）NO增加NE 释放，局部促进交感神经功能，并介导 穴位/经络的生物物理特性。鉴于关键的 经络系统的重要性和未开发的领域， 这一建议是：1）nNOS-NO水平是否选择性地在穴位中升高 和/或在子午线区域？2)L-精氨酸衍生的NO合成和 针刺对穴位/经络NO释放的影响？3)有哪些 nNOS在LSRP和经络中的表达分布？4)是nNOS nNOS的表达和皮肤阻力在LSRP中消失/降低 基因敲除小鼠和5）L-精氨酸衍生的NO合成增加营业额， NE介导穴位/经络的生物物理特性？的 建议的研究将检查nNOS表达的定位，结合 检测到或未检测到LSRP/经络的皮肤组织的结构分析 通过电学方法。nNOS蛋白、mRNA、NE和NO的定量 代谢物将与神经药理学操作相结合， LSRP的电生理学检查以在大鼠中测试假设， 转基因小鼠和人类。结果应该会推动 了解nNOS-NO在神经化学、形态学和 经络/穴位的功能基础，并产生新的见解， NO对去甲肾上腺素能激活的影响， 穴位/经络的特征。

DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from the applicant's abstract) - The meridian system is the central theory of acupuncture, and serves as a guiding principle for diagnosis and treatment of many alternative therapies. Investigators have demonstrated in both humans and animals that acupoints/meridians possess characteristics of low electric resistance. The principal investigator has recently found that neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) protein levels and nitric oxide (NO) content are consistently increased in the three meridian skin regions containing low skin resistance points (LSRP) in rats. The principal investigator's histochemical examinations reveal that nNOS expression is markedly increased in nerve fibers, axons, neurons, and hair follicles in the meridians/acupoints. Consistent with the postulated role of NO, LSRP are manifested in rats and normal mice. In contrast, in nNOS knockout mice the resistance is increased. Furthermore, preliminary data show that exogenous NO reduces the resistance in LSRP while the responses are attenuated by blockade of noradrenergic function. The principal investigator hypothesizes that 1) NO is an important meridian chemical and enhanced nNOS expression in the skin is a histochemical marker of meridian/acupoint structures, and 2) NO increases NE release which locally facilitates sympathetic function and mediates the biophysical characteristics of acupoints/meridians. In view of the critical importance and unexplored territory of the meridian system, the major goals of this proposal are: 1) Are nNOS-NO levels selectively increased in the acupoints and/or in the meridian regions? 2) Does L-arginine-derived NO synthesis and acupuncture modify NO release in acupoints/meridians? 3) What are the distributions of nNOS expression in the LSRP and meridian lines? 4) Are nNOS expressions and the skin resistance abolished/reduced in the LSRP of nNOS knockout mice? And 5) does L-arginine-derived NO synthesis increase turnover of NE that mediates biophysical characteristics of acupoints/meridians? The proposed studies will examine localization of nNOS expression, combined with structural analysis of the skin tissues with or without LSRP/meridians detected by electrical methods. Quantification of nNOS protein, mRNA, NE, and NO metabolites will be integrated with neuropharmacological manipulations and electrophysiological examination of LSRP to test the hypotheses in rats, genetically-altered mice, and humans. The results should advance the understanding of the roles of nNOS-NO on a neurochemical, morphological, and functional basis for meridians/acupoints, and yield new insights regarding the effects of NO on noradrenergic activation that mediates the biophysical characteristics of acupoints/meridians.