Objectives : Acupuncture is expected to have somewhat like the efficacy parallel increasing activity of immune system in Western modem medicine. There, already, are many animal researches on activating effect of acupuncture for the immune system in peripheral organs. So, we carried out this experiment to see whether acupuncture has controlling effect on interleukin-6(IL-6) activity in rat´s brain.
Methods and Results : We had topical application of IL-6(1U=lpg, 10㎕) on brain of rat. It reduced afferent sensory transmission to the primary somatosensory(SI) cortex from periphery. Whereas, electrical stimulation(ES, 2㎐, 1.5V, 15min) of ST36(足三里) with application of IL-6 prominently activated afferent sensory transmission. ES of non-acupoint(proximal tail) with IL-6 showed suppression of afferent transmission. ES of ST36 without IL-6 application also exerted facilitation of afferent transmission to the SI cortex.
Conclusions : Electoacupuncture(EA) on ST36 has noticeable influences on modulating activation of IL-6 in central nervous system, which do major role in immune system.
|