Objective: The topographical mapping technique of brain evoked potential was used to observe the changes of the functional activities in the cortical somatosensory area I (SⅠ) during imitating the sensation conduction along the Meridian (SCM). The formation mechanism of sensation conduction was discussed here. Method: 26 healthy adult volunteers were chosen as observe object. Cerebral electric signal processing system was used to record topographical mapping of evoked potential in SⅠ outside the skull. Soft paintbrush was used to slightly brush the Gall Bladder Meridian (GBM) to imitate the sensation conduction. Result: Evoking responses appeared in both foot and face representation areas in SⅠ of 11 healthy volunteers without conduction sensation during imitation of sensation conduction along the GBM (SCGBM), which coincided with the distribution of responses evoked in SI during sensation conduction along Meridian . 15 healthy volunteers were offered imitation of SCGBM as well as brushing through the upper arm additionally, while, the results showed that the evoking responses appeared in the foot, the upper arm and the face representation area of SⅠ. So, it formed a high potential response belt that was similar to the course occurred during the imitation of SCM. Conclusion: The external stimulation along the meridian course can change the distribution of evoking responses in SⅠduring stimulating point. The results provide experimental evidence for the supposition that “activation in sequence in periphery” is the decisive factor for the formation of SCM.

BACKGROUND: Without any external stimuli in natural environment, it is applicable to observe the infrared radiant track over human body surface that is in conformity basically with the running courses of ancient fourteen meridians.OBJECTIVE: To probe into the influence of electroacupuncture on infrared radiant track along meridian courses over human body surface.DESIGN: Self-controlled opening experiment.SETTING: Department of Meridian Research of Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Fujian Province.PARTICIPANTS: The experiment was performed in Key Laboratory of Meridian Research of Fujian Province from January 2000 to December 2002. Totally 53 students from Department of Acupuncture and Massage of Fujian College of Chinese Medicine were observation, of which, 38 students were males, 15 students were females, aged varied from 19 to 23years.METHODS: The receptors exposed completely the body areas required and sat quietly for 20 to 30 minutes to adapt to the environmental temperature. In natural state, 6T67 infrared thermo tracer produced by Japanese San-Ei Company was used to observe 1 to 2 infrared radiant tracks in advance as the control before acupuncture (scanned once per second). Afterwards, acupuncture was done on Guangming (GB 37), Neiguan (PC 6) and Dazhui (GV 14). The stimulation was given by a pair of stainless filiform needles, 6.6 cm long. The frequency of effectric pulse was 2 Hz, and 0.2 ms in duration. The video record was taken once every 5 to 10 minutes during stimulation. After acupuncture, 1 to 2 infrared radiant tracks were scanned.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Tracks of isothermal display and whole thermal display on infrared thermography.infrared radiant track along meridian courses over the human body surface high basic temperature, acupuncture decreased skin temperature on infrared radiant track along meridian courses over the human body surface in a part of subjects. The skin temperature of a part of subjects was decreased acupuncture increased skin temperature on infrared radiant track along though it did not great affect the skin temperature on infrared radiant track along meridian courses over the human body surface in a part of subjects,acupuncture induced infrared radiant track to be more continuous and human body surface, acupuncture stimulates the infrared radiant track displayed along the meridians over human body surface, too.CONCLUSION: Infrared radiant track along meridian courses over the human body surface is a kind of normal life phenomenon existed commonly among peoples. Acupuncture not only induces the infrared radiant track of the related meridian, but also alters the skin temperature of the displayed infrared radiant track along meridian courses and makes it become more continuous and regular. Changes in tissue temperature are relevant necessarily with altered energetic metabolism. It is suggested that infrared radiant track along meridian courses is closely contributed to functional regulation of the human body.

Objective: To investigate the distribution features of somatosensory cortical evoked potential map with augmented blocking of the sensation transmission along meridians.Method: The EEG-4400 electro-encephalogram (EEG) and ND-1 brain electrical activity mapping were adopted on 11 volunteers with remarkable sensation transmission along meridians, showing that the sensation can transmit to head and face after stimulating the points below the knee joints. Also, special observation was made on accurate location of somatosensory cortical evoked potential map in 10 people without sensation transmission.Result: Observation on 11 volunteers with remarkable transmission along the Three Foot-yang Meridians showed that they presented with concurrent high potential reactions in somatosensory cortical lower limbs and face without blocking the augmented sensation transmission along the meridians; however, when mechanical pressure was exerted to block the sensation transmission,only one reaction in the lower limbs occurred in the somatosensory cortical evoked map and the other one in the face disappeared. Conclusion: Peripheral tissue evoking is the decisive factor for transmission along the meridians.

Objective:The topographical mapping technique of cortical evoked potential was used to observe the changes of the functional activities in the primary somatosensory area of cortex (SI) during external stimulation,the immanent relation between external stimulation and topographical mapping of cortical somatosensory evoked potential (CSEP). Methods:33 healthy adult volunteers were under observation. Cerebral electric signal processing system was used to lead CSEP on the scalp. The external stimulation was applied as following:①A soft paintbrush was used to slightly brush the face only. ②Paintbrush was used to slightly brush the lower limb only. ③Paintbrush was used to slightly brush the trunk only. ④Paintbrush was used to slightly brush the lower limb or the trunk or the Gallbladder Meridian (GBM) and passing the upper arm by imitating the speed of meridian transmission phenomenon respectively. Results:①Evoking responses appeared in the foot areas in SI,without meridian transmission phenomenon when brushing the face,lower limb or trunk only. ②Healthy volunteers were offered imitation of sensation conduction along the GBM as well as brushing through the upper arm in addition,while,the results showed that the evoking responses appeared in the foot,the upper arm and the face representation area of SI simultaneously. Conclusion:The external stimulation along the meridian course was able to change the distribution of evoking responses in SI during stimulating acupoint. But the local stimulating on face,lower limb or trunk can not change the distribution of CSEP. The results provided experimental evidence for the supposition that 'activation in sequence in periphery'was the decisive factor for the formation of meridian transmission phenomenon.

Objective To observe the effect of electroacupuncture(EA) of different acupoints on electroretinogram(ERG) and cerebral visual evoked potentials(VEP) in healthy subjects so as to evaluate the relative specificity of the function of acupoints.Methods A total of 33 healthy adult volunteers were observed in the present study.The subject was asked to lie on a testing bed for a while,two disk electrodes were respectively fixed to the suborbital region and the occiput(the crossing point,5cm apart from the right median line of the head and 5cm above the ear),and the reference electrode was fixed to the medial side of the earlobe for recording ERG and cerebral VEP separately.The testing room was asked to keep faint light during the whole recording process.A flash stimulation(frequency 1 Hz) was applied to the subject's eye(with a distance of about 50 cm between the light source and the tested eye,and the other eye was covered by an eyepatch).EA(0.5 Hz,0.2 ms and 3-4 V) was applied to Guangming(GB 37),Neiguan(PC 6) and Zusanli(ST 36) for 30 min respectively in different testing days(with the interval being 3 days at least).ERG and cerebral VEP were recorded by using Polygraphy(RM-6200).Results Following EA of Guangming(GB 37),Neiguan(PC 6) and Zusanli(ST 36),the changing values(increase and decrease) of the amplitude of b waves of ERG and P100 waves of cerebral VEP were(19.68?12.61)% and(12.84?14.08)%,(6.09?14.06)% and(5.61?8.01)%,(2.39?3.52)% and(5.43?8.22)%,respectively,while those of b waves of ERG and P100 waves of cerebral VEP of GB 37 were significantly bigger than those of PC 6 and ST 36(P

Objective To investigate the effects and relations of carvedilol on heart rate turbulence and secretion of sympathetic nerve in patients with myocardial infarction. Methods Sixty-six patients selected with acute myocardial infarction were randomized to enroll into experimental group ( n = 33 ) treated with earvedilol and control group( n = 33 ) treated with metoprolol for 12 months follow-up treatment. The concenrrarions of plasma norepinephrine(NE) and epinephrine (E) and 24 hour Holter monitoring were messured respectively before the treatment ,after 6 months and 12 months; and new cardiac events were supervised for all cases. Quantification of heart rate turbulenee(HRT) were carried out by computer analyzing two factors: turbulence onset(TO) and turbulence slope(TS) from the data of 24 hour Holter monitoring. NE,E,TO,TS and the occurrence rate of new cardiac events were compared between two groups and in different times of treatment. The correlation between TO,TS and NE,E was analysed. Results Before the treatment, there was no significant differences between two groups to the comparisons of NE,E,TO and TS(P＞0.05). After treating 6 and 12 months, NE, E and TO of experimental group were all lower than control group's significantly, accordingly TS were all higher(P＜0.05). By comparing 3 times( before,after 6 and 12 months of treatment), NE, E and TO of two groups dropped, meanwhile TS rose; experimental group showed significant changes( P＜0.05 ), but control group showed no significant differences(P＞0.05 ). The occurrence rate of new cardiac events of experimental group was lower than control group's significantly (P＜0.05 ).There was significant correlation between NE, E and TO, TS (P＜0.05 ). Conclusion Carvedilol treatment can block the secretion of sympathetic nerve after myocardial infarction and prevent the occurrences of new cardiac events significantly; the changes of the secretion of sympathetic nerve can play an important role for heart rate turbulence (HRT) ,the changes of HRT would be hopeful to predict new cardiac events alter myocardial infarction.

Objective To study the effects of carvedilol on the stability of plasma catecholamine in patients with post-acute myocardial infarction during consecutive periods. Methods Thirty-slx patients selected with acute myocardial infarction were randomized to experimental group treated with the nonselective beta-blocker earvedilol( n=18) and control group treated with the selective beta-blocker metoprolol(=18) for 12-months follow-up. In the two groups,the concentrations of plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine were measured before the treatment and after 2 months,4 months,6 months,8 mouths,10 months and 12 months and new cardiac events were supervised. Results After the treatment, in each point of periods, experimental group showed lower concentrations of plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine statistically than control group(P<0.05) ,and a stable dynamic change during 12 months of treat-ment( P>0.05 ) ;the occurrence rate of new cardiac events was lower significantly in experimental group than in con-trol group(P<0.05). Conclusion Carvedilol can decrease the spillover of sympathetic nerve, control more stably cardiac sympathetic nerve activity and then decrease more sharply the occurrence rate of new cardiac events in pa-tients with acute myocardial infarction than metoprolol.

OBJECTIVETo compare the thermal conductivity of the related tissues along meridian line and non-meridian area.

METHODSForty healthy volunteers were observed with a infrared thermal imaging system.

RESULTSDuring heating the acupoint or the non-acupoint along the meridian line, the velocity of spreading of the temperature-increasing response along the meridian line was more easy and rapid, with a definite direction. However, during heating the non-meridian spots, the change of temperature was confined to the local area, with no definite direction. The spreading of skin temperature response along the meridian line was more rapid than the non-meridian area during both the two were heated simultaneously, and finally, 3 infrared radiant tracks along the meridian courses conformed basically with that of the classical three yin- meridians of the hand appeared.

CONCLUSIONThe thermal conductivity of the related tissues along the meridian line is better than that of non-meridian area and has definite direction, with differences in physical characteristics between them.

Objective To observe the value of radiomics models based on gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid(Gd-EOB-DTPA)enhanced hepatobiliary phase(HBP)MRI for assessing clinical pathological stage of hepatic fibrosis(HF).Methods Data of 240 patients with pathologically/clinically diagnosed and clinical pathological staged HF who underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MR examination were retrospectively analyzed.The liver-to-muscle signal intensity ratio(SIR1)and liver-to-spleen signal intensity ratio(SIR2)were measured based on HBP images.Radiomics features of HBP images were extracted and screened to construct radiomics models.The signal intensity ratio(SIR)-radiomics combined models were constructed based on SIR and radiomics signatures.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were drawn to evaluate the efficacy of each model for assessing clinical pathological stage of HF.Results The area under the curve(AUC)of SIR1 and SIR2 models for assessing clinical pathological stage of HF were 0.63-0.70 and 0.65-0.71,respectively.The most effective radiomics model for assessing HF,significant HF,advanced HF and early cirrhosis was support vector machine(SVM),SVM,light gradient boosting machine and K-nearest neighbor model,respectively,with the AUC in validation set of 0.87,0.82,0.81 and 0.80,respectively,while the AUC of SIR-radiomics combined models in validation set of 0.88,0.82,0.82 and 0.81,respectively.Conclusion The radiomics models based on Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced HBP MRI were helpful for assessing clinical pathological stage of HF.Combining with HBP SIR could improve their efficacy.