[Objective] The Zang-Fu and the meridians, which are one of the foundations of modern acupuncture and moxibustion medical education, appeared in "Lingshu" in the "Meridian" section. However, the Zang-Fu and the meridians each has a history of independent development in ancient China Before the Common Era. The purpose of this study is to investigate the process by which the meridians came to be associated with the Zang-Fu, drawing from descriptions in "Suwen", which was compiled Before the Common Era.[Method] The source literature of this study is "Revisions and Extensive Notes on the Huangdi Neijing Suwen", with reference to "Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medicine and Classic Research" by MARUYAMA Masao to classify compilations of "Suwen". The research items are the names of the Zang and the Fu, the relationships between the Zang and the Fu, and the piao-li relationships of the Zang-Fu and the three Yin and three Yang of the hands and feet. [Result] The names for the Zang were Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lungs and Kidneys, and for the Fu were Small Intestine, Bladder, Gallbladder, Large Intestine, Stomach, and Sanjiao. The Zang-Fu relationships were Lungs-Large Intestine, Spleen-Stomach, Heart-Small Intestine, Kidney-Bladder, Liver-Gall Bladder, and Chronic Illness-Sanjiao. The piao-li relationships of the Zang-Fu and the three Yin and three Yang of the hands and feet were Foot Thai-Yang and Shao-Yin, Foot Shao-Yang and Chueh-Yin, Foot Yang-Ming and Thai-Yin, Hand Thai-Yang and Shao-Yin, Hand Yang-Ming and Thai-Yin, and Hand Shao-Yang and Heart. The Liver is treated by Foot Chueh-Yin and Shao-Yang, the Heart is treated Hand Shao-Yin and Thai-Yang, the Spleen is treated by Foot Thai-Yin and Yang-Ming, the Lungs are treated by Hand Thai-Yin and Yang-Ming, and the Kidneys are treated by Foot Shao-Ying and Thai-Yang. There was the expression "太陰陽明表裏為脾胃脈也" that Hand-Foot, Yin-Yang and the Zang-Fu were grouped by their Piao-li relationships. And there were the expressions saying "Shao-Yin is the Kidneys" and "Yang-Ming is the Stomach", although these were not in complete form. [Discussion] The Zang-Fu meridians, combining the Zang-Fu and the meridians, started from the Spleen-Stomach. There were other expressions combining the Zang-Fu with the meridians, although these were also not in complete form. While medicine at that time was being organized and integrated with the Yin-Yang and Five Elements theories, the relationships between the Zang-Fu and the meridians were also established. And it is inferred that the process of combining these and developing them into a new medical system existed during this period. [Conclusion] The relationships between the Zang-Fu and the meridians were established in "Suwen", which was compiled Before the Common Era, and the expression combining them started from "太陰陽明表裏為脾胃脈也".

Lately, many people from children to elderly people are playing sports. Society is in need of safer and more comfortable sporting environment, not only for competitive sports, but also for recreational sports. The themes of acupuncture and moxibustion of the field of sports are treatments of sports injuries, keeping the physical condition of the athlete, preventing life-style related diseases and competition performance improvement of the athletes. At this symposium, we reported the present conditions of the study of sports acupuncture and moxibustion. It is summarized as follows:
1) Press tack needles relieve muscle fatigue that occurs during a long-term training camp,
2) Acupuncture inhibits the fall of the immune function resulting from high extreme exercise,
3) Electroacupuncture can relieve disused muscle atrophy of mice,
4) Press tack needles are effective in acute muscle fatigue and delayed onset muscle soreness, and
5) The M-Test is effective in estimating performance improvement and preventing sports injuries.

[Objective] To examine the effect of press tack needle (PTN) treatment on muscle soreness after triathlon race in a placebo (P) -controlled study.
[Method] Subjects were 149 healthy triathletes randomly divided into 2 groups, PTN group and P group. PTN and P were placed on the L 3 to S 2 dermatome area (BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26 and BL32) only during the race. The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to measure muscle soreness at 6 points (Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Tibialis anteriors, Glutes and lower back). Measurements were obtained before the race (PRE), after the race (POST1), and on the day after the race (POST2) to evaluate the effect of PTN treatment.
[Results] Each VAS score was increased on POST1 compared to that on PRE (p<0.01) for both groups. With PTN treatment, VAS scores were decreased on POST2 compared to those on POST1 except for Glutes (p<0.01, p<0.05), and had recovered to the PRE-race condition. In the P group, VAS score of the hamstrings was decreased on POST2 compared to that on POST1, while VAS scores were significantly higher than those on PRE for Quad, Hamstrings, and Calves.
[Conclusion] It is suggested that PTN stimulation during triathlon race suppresses delayed-onset muscle sore-ness.

Effects of moxibustion on liver injury induced by CCl₄ and ethionine in mice were investigated in the reticuloendothelial system. The phagocytic activity was determined by the carbon clearance method and the activity of lysosomal enzyme (acid phosphatase and β-glucuronidase) in peritoneal exudate cells was measured.
Male ddY and ICR mice (5 weeks old) were used as experimental animals.
Liver injury was produced by the administration of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) in a dose of 0.04ml/body in olive oil, p. o., or single administration of ethionine in a dose 1g/kg, i. p.
15mg of moxa was divided into 6 cones and they were treated by each 3 cones on right and left LV-14.
We obtained the following results. After 15 times administration of CCl₄ (3 times a week), the rise of serum transaminase (GOT, GPT), the decrease of K index and α index which meant phagocytic activity and the increase in liver/body (L/B) and spleen/body (S/B) weight ratio were recognized. For CCl₄ induced liver injury, α index and S/B weight ratio were improved by 10 times moxibustion (2 times a week). After 15 times moxibustion (3 times a week), the tendency to increase in K index and to decrease of α index was seen and, at the same time, an increase in L/B weight ratio was seen.
On the other hand, an increase in K index was induced after single administration of ethionine and simultaneous single moxibustion showed the tendency to decrease of K index.
It was suggested that moxibustion play an important role to regulate the mechanism of reticuloendothelial system on CCl₄ or ethionine induced liver injury.

Sports Acupuncture is used for alleviating physical disorders of athletes and it helps them to keep up the quality of their performance. Acupuncture has been used for sports injuries to relieve the pain, and lately, is also applied for preventing injuries, conditioning, or health maintenance. However, the definition of "Sports Acupuncture"is still unclear and there is no guideline to apply acupuncture for athletes.
As Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic will be held in Tokyo in 2020, we decided to review past researches related with sports acupuncture. These researches examine the effects of acupuncture for muscle pain, muscle fatigue, muscle atrophy, and sports injuries. Moreover, we invite one former athlete and she speaks how she used acupuncture when she was a player. After this panel discussion we will be able to make a step to next level, so that we re-create "Sports Acupuncture"on athletes'demand.

In order to clarify the functional mechanism of the therapeutic effects of moxibustion, we have examined the influences exerted on the organism's defense system, especially the phagocytosis of the reticuloendothelial syntem in normal mice using the carbon clearance method.
Male ddY and ICR mice were used as experimental animals. The experiment was begun when the animals were 5 weeks old. The moxibustion methods involved 3 cones of 15mg or 5mg moxa at right and left LV-14.
We obtained results as follow; the global phagocytic index, K index and the corrected phagocytic index, α index, were increased 3hr after 5mg of moxa/animal treatment and K index increased 3hr and 24hr after 15mg of moxa/animal one in ddY mice.
On the other hand, in ICR mice, 15mg of moxa/animal treatment showed increase in α index after 3hr and increase in both K and α indexs after 120hr.
From the above, it is suggested that the moxibustion stimulation induced the enhancement of the phagocytic activity in normal mice.

In our previous studies, it was suggested that single moxibustion stimulation activated blood coagulation and fibrinolytic activities within normal range in mice at 1 and 3hrs.
In order to further investigate the mechanism of moxibustion, we have examined the antithrombin III (AT III) and fibrinolytic activities after single moxibustion.
Male ddy mice (6 weeks old) were used as experimental animals. Each mouse was treated with 15mg of moxa divided into 6 cones, 3 each on the right and left LV-14.
We obtained the following results. The plasminogen (PLG) activities and the values of plasma total protein decreased at 1hr after single moxibustion.
The activities of plasma AT III, α2 plasmin inhibitor (α2 PI) and factor XIII, and plasma fibrinogen level remained unchanged at 1 and 3hrs.
The blood coagulation and fibrinolytic activities changed, but they were almost within the range of physiological variability.
These results suggest that blood coagulation and fibrinolysis were activated as part of its defence mechanism while keeping homeostatic balance.

In our previous studies, blood coagulation and fibrinolytic activity after single moxibustion were found to change within the range of physiological variability in mice. In this paper, the effect of multiple moxibustion on the activity of blood coagulation was examined by using male ddY mice (6 weeks old). 15mg of moxa was divided into 6 cones and mice were treated by each 3 cones at right and left LV-14. The multiple moxibustion schedule was a total of 5, 10 and 15 treatments. There was no effect of multiple moxibustion on body weight and Ht. 5 treatments of moxibustion showed a significant decrease in PT (p<0.05) and 10 treatments showed an increase in the ma value of TEG and in HPT activity. No significant change in PTT nor ATIII activity was found following multiple treatments of moxibustion.
These results showed that the enhancement of blood coagulation did not continue during multiple moxibustion even though single moxibustion stimulated the activity of blood coagulation at 1 and 3hrs. In addition, the increase in HPT activity induced by 10 treatments of moxibustion may have shown an effect of mildly stimulating liver function.