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In the latest years several works have been published about the use of
radioactive tracers in order to demonstrate the existence of the
acupuncture meridians.
The results obtained have always been different.
This study was started in 1988; it refers to the analysis of the
migration of tracer after the administration of
Tc-99-m-Pertechnetate into an acupuncture point and into another point
outside the meridian but near it.
Methods and Materials
After having placed two markers in the
prossimale and distale extremity of the patient's left radius, the
examined extremity was carefully positioned. A gamma camera (selo 73
Foto-tubi collimator at high
resolution; window from 120 to 160 kew), connected to Apex 009 computer,
was employed.
37 Mbq.Tc-99-m-Pertechnetate in precisely measured 0.10 ml. was first
given subcutaneously into a point
outside the meridian in the extremity of the elbow fold, at a distance
of 1.5 cm. from the acupuncture point
L.I.11 (QUCHI). The absence of blood reflux from vessels was carefully
checked by means of aspiration.
A second injection was given into L.I.4 (HEGU) acupuncture point located
in the hand. The needle used had
a diameter of 4mm. and 0.4mm.
Every two seconds detections of tracer in sequences were carried out and
successively images at "stading
stade" appeared; these images were reproduced using a Polaroid
camera.
Six healthy cases underwent this study.
Results
Five out of six cases, the
Tc-99-m-Pertechnetate injection into the point outer acupuncture
meridian
produced a "stain"-shaped stagnation radioactivity persisting
some minutes:
Case
no.1 = 5 minutes
Case no.2 = 5 minutes
Case no.3 = 8 minutes
Case no.4 = 6 minutes
Case no.5 = 30 minutes
Case no.6 after
10 minutes from the time of injection, a line-shaped radioactivity
appeared migrating from the point of radiotracer administration towards
the shoulder.
On the contrary the second injection into
the acupuncture point located in the hand, had the following results:
in all cases, after a few seconds, a regular line-shaped radioactivity
appeared, joining the two markers and
migrating towards the shoulder, following the meridian path, in the
extreme edge of camerate field of view.
The following times were surveyed at the elbow:
Case no.1 = 15 seconds
Case no.2 = 30 seconds
Case no.3 = 5 seconds
Case no.4 = 3 minutes
Case no.5 = 16 seconds
Case no.6 = 10 seconds
Conclusions
By means of this study we do not
want to demonstrate the existence or not of the acupuncture meridians;
our
aim is to underline the importance of the following data:
1.The different results obtained
after the Tc-99-m-Pertechnetate injection given into the two points: a persisting stagnation of radioisotope into the point
outside the meridian (some minutes), a rapid migration of radioisotope from the acupuncture point
following the path of a traditional acupuncture
meridian.
These results could be explained taking into
consideration the dìfferent lympho-venous vascular system of the two points analysed; but two elements seem to
exclude this possible explanation: the certain absence of blood reflux during the aspiration when
the injection was given and the results of otherstudies, in particular the work by Dr. Jiahe Tian,
Director of Nuclear Medicine Department of Military
Post-Graduate Medical School of Beijing. He employed
Tc-99m-Antimony Colloid instead of
Pertechnetate, excluding in this way a possible role
of lymphatic system.
2.On case no.6., Tc-99m tracer
migrated at 10th second from the point outer meridian towards the
shoulder. It is difficult to make hypotheses: could
it be technical mistake, subjective dimension of the point or something else?
We may end by saying that we
believe the use of radioisotope an objective, physiologic, in-vivo means
which has the aim to demonstrate the existence of the Acupuncture
Meridian System already codified by
Traditional Chinese Medicine several centuries ago.
By
Dr. Carlo Maria Giovanardi
vedi:
Agopuntura
Ricordarsi
che le alterazioni degli enzimi,
della flora,
del pH
digestivo e della mucosa
intestinale influenzano la salute, non
soltanto a livello intestinale, ma anche a distanza in
qualsiasi parte dell'organismo.
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