Electrical Characterization of Proposed Transpositional Acupoints on the Urinary Bladder Meridian in a Rat Model

Abstract

Specific electrical characteristicsof acupointswere investigated on the urinary bladder (BL) meridian in 14 rats. BL acupointsand non-acupoints on the back were selected and their electrical voltages were measured by using aSPACsystem.The mean voltages of each point or each line were statistically analyzed by using the ANOVA test.The BL meridian showed voltages higher than those of the reference line (P<.05). Bilateral 1st BL lines presented higher voltages than bilateral 2nd BL lines (P<.05). Most BL acupoints had voltageshigher than those for the corresponding reference points (P<.05). In particular, theright BL16 exhibited the biggest difference from the reference point, followed by the left extra BL point-2, the right BL27, the left BL17, and theleft BL45. Additionally, the distributions of neurofilamentsfor several points were investigated by using immunohistochemistry. There was a trend for the BL acupoints to have larger numbers of neurofilaments than the reference points, and that trend seemed to be directly proportional to the difference in voltage between the points.In conclusion, BL acupoints on the back in ratsexhibited specific electric and histologic characteristics. Therefore, those acupointsmay be utilized to investigate the efficacy of acupuncturewith laboratory animals.