Eiji Furuya

Effect of Single Moxibustion on Phagocytic Activity in Mice

Effects of moxibustion stimulation on the phagocytic activity of the reticuloendothelial system in ddY and ICR mice has been studied by using the carbon clearance methods. It was found that moxibustion stimulation induced the enhancement of the phagocytic activity with increased phagocytic indexes (K and a indexes) and lysosomal enzyme activities in mice peritoneal exudate cells and peritoneal macrophages. In addition, the increase of carbon uptake in the Kupffer cells of the liver after carbon injection can be seen by light microscopy when compared with that of nontreated mice. Few big holes on the cell surface of the macrophages obtained from the moxibustion mice were observed in scanning electron microscopical studies. These results suggest that the moxibustion treatment caused the enhancement of the host defence mechanisms in mice.

Effects of Acupuncture Stimulation on Muscle Tissue Oxygenation at Different Points

Muscle tissue oxygenation is a critical issue in muscle complications such as pain, exhaustion, stiffness, or fatigue during and after exercise. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the changes of muscle tissue oxygenation could be observed at both erector spinae muscle at S1 level and gastrocnemius during and after acupuncture stimulation to ipsilateral erector spinae at S1 level. The subjects were ten healthy males. Muscle oxygenation was monitored by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and the probes were placed on the right side of the erector spinae muscle at S1 level (Guanyuanshu, BL26) and the belly of the gastrocnemius on the right (Chengjin, BL56). The subjects lay on the bed in prone position for 10 min, followed by acupuncture insertion into the right side of BL26. The needle was left for 10 min and subjects were kept still for 10 min after removal. At BL26, oxygenated-hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) was significantly increased compared to the baseline at 10 min after insertion (p < 0.05), then continued increasing. Total hemoglobin (t-Hb) was increased at 2 min after removal (p < 0.05). Tissue-oxygen saturation (StO2) was increased at 7 min after insertion (p < 0.05). At BL56, oxy-Hb and t-Hb were increased at 6 and 2 min after removal, respectively (p < 0.05). StO2 showed no significant change. The acupuncture stimulation affected muscle tissue oxygenation differently at both stimulated and non-stimulated points in the same innervation.

Effect of multiple moxibusiton on blood coagulation in mice.

間歇的連続施灸刺激の血液凝固能に及ぼす影響を検索した。実験にはddY系雄性5週齢マウスを用い, 総重量15mg/body の艾を左右期門穴相当部位に5, 10, 15回間歇的連続施灸した。5, 10, 15回のいずれの場合も連続施灸による体重及びHtへの影響は認められなかった。凝固系において, 5回施灸ではp<0.05でPTの短縮傾向を認め, 10回施灸ではTEGのma値の増大とHPT活性値の上昇が明らかであった。PTTとAT IIIでは対照との間に差異は認められなかった。以上, 本実験条件では連続施灸において, 1回施灸による凝固能賦活の持続傾向は認められなかったが, HPTの結果からは軽度の肝機能賦活傾向を示す一端がうかがわれた。