A series of studies on the acupuncture treatment for diabetes mellitus demonstrated that insulin secretion is accelerated by acupuncture stimulation during oral glucose loading.
In this study patients with noninsulin-dependant diabetes mellitus (type II) were treated by placing needle at Quichi (LI-11), Ganshu (UB-18), Taichong (Liv-3), Pishu (UB-20) and Zhongwan (Ren-12) twice a week for 6-8 weeks. The results showed improvements in blood sugar level and increased insulin response to administered glucose in those patients with noninsulin-dependant diabetes mellitus.
On the basis of this evidence it seems to suggest that insulin deficiency, which is basic pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus, is improved by acupuncture treatment, in particular reserved ability of insulin secretion being revived.

It is said that the R-R interval on an ECG, showing the period of the cardiac cycle, reflects the activity of the vagus.
In this paper, the changes in the R-R interval brought by acupuncture and moxibustion were investigated by using Ximen (P-4) and Shenmen (H-7).
In the case of acupuncture and/or moxibustion to Ximen as well as Shenmen, the prolonged R-R interval was noted, while the increased coefficient of alteration of R-R interval was showed in the case of acupuncture. The coefficient of the alteration showed a decrease, however, in the case of moxibustion to Shenmen. Remarkable reduction in the coefficient of the alteration were observed immediately after acupuncture to Ximen under administration of atropine, but moxibustion did not produce any remarkable fluctuations. On the other hand, acupuncture to Ximen under administration of propranolol produced no remarkable fluctuation, while moxibustion brought an increased coefficient of the alteration.
The results suggested that there were considerable variations in the influence on the autonomic nervous system which participated with the cardiac rhythm by different stimulation to the same meridian point.

From ancient times the oriental medicine has applied the acupuncture therapy, choosing various meridian points, to the diseases of the digestive system.
Against the gastric diseases meridian points Tsusanli (S36), Yangling-chuan (G34) etc. are usually used. However, it is traditionally handed down that the puncture to Tsusanli tends to increase gastric secretion, therefore the puncture to Yanglingchuan is better for gastric hyperacidity than that to Tsusanli.
On these meridian points, its pathophysiological mechanism for the diseases of the digestive system of these meridian points still remains unknown.
In these paper, an evaluation on the change of pH value of gastric juice was carried out by using Telemeter for gastroenteric pH value, concerning Tsusanli, Yanglingchuan, Liangchiu (S34), and Waichiu (G36).
It was obtained that the tendency to increase the secretion of HCI in gastric juice in the group stimulated to Tsusanli and the group to Lingchiu, and the tendency to inhibit the secretion in the group to Yanglingchuan.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the gender differences in thermoregulatory responses during the recovery from prolonged exercise. Fourteen (7 males and 7 females) subjects cycled for 45 minutes at 55%VO₂max and then rested for 105 minutes in the hot and humid environment (30℃, 80% relative humidity) or cool environment (20℃, 60% relative humidity). Both males and females showed same variations in rectal temperature (Tre) during exercise and recovery periods. Total sweat volume and water intake were significantly larger in males than in females during recovery in the both environments. In the heat condition, mean skin temperature (Tsk) decreased immediately after the cessation of exercise in females but not in males (the recovery period (R) 5–15 min : p<0.01, R15–20 min : p<0.05). These results suggested there are gender-related differences in the mechanisms and also the process maintaining the balance of heat production and heat loss response during recovery from prolonged exercise. Moreover the heat might modify gender differences of heat loss response during recovery as an important factor.

This study examined the effect of prolonged exercise with and without hyperthermia on cognitive function. In this study, 9 male subjects cycled at 50% watt max for 60 min in a room maintained at 23°C. Water-perfused suits with water at 7°C (COOL) and 47°C (HOT) were randomly used during the 2 cycling periods. Rectal temperature, skin temperatures, heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), and thermal sensation were evaluated during exercise. The Stroop color-word test (SCWT) and executive processing test (EPT) were conducted every 15min during exercise to evaluate cognitive function. In the COOL trial, the core temperature stabilized at 37.5 ± 0.1°C (mean ± SE), whereas in the HOT trial, the core temperature increased to 39.1 ± 0.1°C, with a concomitant increase in RPE and thermal sensation. Although the reaction time for the simple task of the SCWT improved when the body temperature increased slightly during the COOL trial, the conflict task of the SCWT was impaired during the latter stages of exercise during the HOT trial. The reaction time for the HOT trial was significantly longer than that for the COOL trial. Compared to the bigining of exercise the reaction time for the EPT was impaired at 60 min during the HOT trial, and this reaction time was longer than that for the COOL trial. The present findings indicate that exercise-induced hyperthermia during the latter stages of exercise impairs cognitive as well as physiological functions.

Radioisotope renography, which is a technique for extracorporeal examination of kidney utilizing radionuclides, can provide the data of renal dynamics such as blood flow and excretion of urine about individual kidney. Since this technique allowes simple and noninvasive examination of renal functions, it is now commonly used clinically.
The present study was designed to elucidate a relationship between renal function and meridian point by using radioisotope renography. In this paper the effect of acupuncture applied placing-needle wlth low frequency wave to Shenshu (UB-23) of the urinary bladder channel of foot-taiyang on renal function, especially excretion of urine, was observed.
It was found that urinary elimination of radioisotope after acupuncture increased, although no marked change was noted on the pattern of renogram curve.

A relationship of meridian point-jingluo to secretion of insulin was evaluated by blocking the large intestine channel of hand-yangming.
Subjects were divided into three groups; (1) group of subjects in whom saline was injected in Quchi (LI-11), (2) group of subjects whose Quchi was cooled by an ice bag, and (3) group of subjects whose Quchi was pressed. Insulin secretion following acupuncture stimulation to Hege (LI-4) was measured in these groups. As a result, all three groups showed significant reduction in secretion of insulin and integrated insulin response for 60 minutes during oral glucose tolerance test.
The result obtained seems to suggest that stimuli given to Hege are blocked to transmit due to the interferance given to Quchi. This implies that blocking phenomenon of the jingluo take place in the large intestine channel of hand-yangming.

During exercise at high temperatures, body temperature increases impairing exercise performance and resulting in heat illnesses. Water ingestion during exercise is a simple and practical strategy to prevent hyperthermia. In the present study, we examined the effects of water ingestion interval on thermoregulatory responses during exercise in a hot, humid environment (32t, 80% relative humidity) . Eight male university students performed a 60-min cycling exercise (60% of the maximal O₂ uptake) under four separate conditions; no drinking (ND), water ingestion (mineral water) at 5 (D5), 15 (D15), and 30 (D30) min intervals. The total volume of water ingestion (TWI) was identical during D5, D15, and D30, and equal to the amount of fluid lost in sweat during ND. TWI was divided equally by the number of drinking times in each experiment. During exercise, both rectal and mean skin temperature were lower in D5 than those in the other conditions (p<0.05) . There was no significant difference in total sweat loss between the four conditions, however, evaporative sweat loss and sweat efficiency (evaporative sweat loss total sweat loss) were significantly (p<0.05) higher in D5 than those in the other conditions. These results suggest that the shorter water ingestion interval increases evaporative sweating and attenuates higher body temperature during exercise in a hot, humid environment.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of a shoulder injury on rotator cuff muscle thickness and shoulder muscle strength in baseball players. Based on orthopedic medical checks performed by a doctor for 57 male collegiate baseball players, two groups, the pain-free normal group (NOR group, n=19) and the impingement test positive group (IMP group, n=17) volunteered to participate in the study. Muscle thickness of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus and posterior deltoid muscles was measured bilaterally using a B-mode ultrasound apparatus (SSD-500, Aloka) with a 5-MHz transducer. Isometric shoulder abduction strength was measured bilaterally with a hand-held dynamometer in the sitting position with the arm at 45 degrees abduction, and shoulder external and internal rotation strength were measured bilaterally with an isokinetic dynamometer in the sitting position with the upper arm at 90 degrees abduction.
When the two groups were compared, the NOR group showed significantly greater values on the dominant side than on the non-dominant side for muscle thickness of the posterior deltoid. However, the IMP group showed significantly greater values on the non-dominant side than on the dominant side of muscle thickness of the supraspinatus, the muscle strength with the abduction and external rotation (300 deg/sec) and external internal rotation strength ratio (180 deg/sec) .
Also, the IMP group had a significantly weaker dominant/non-dominant ratio of supraspinatus muscle thickness (p<0.05) and abduction strength than the NOR group (p<0.01) .
These results suggest that baseball players with positive impingement show both a morphological and functional decline in the supraspinatus muscle. The dominant side supraspinatus weakness observed in the IMP group of this study may reflect muscle atrophy and chronic fatigue.

The aim of the present study was to measure the amount of nerve growth factor (NGF) present in saliva, and investigate the relationship with aging, gender, and number of retained teeth. The subjects were 93 healthy volunteers (35 males and 58 females) aged 18-87 years. Stimulated saliva was collected during gum chewing, and saliva secretion per minute and NGF concentration per unit volume were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We found that NGF in saliva was measurable in all subjects. The mean NGF concentration in saliva was 55.70 ± 38.27 pg/ml, and no relationship was found between NGF concentration and aging, gender, and the number of retained teeth. The mean NGF amount in saliva was 84.38 ± 71.06 pg/min. The NGF amount in saliva decreased with age, especially for the group aged 70 years and older. It was higher in male than female subjects, and was significantly higher in the group without tooth loss compared to the edentulous group. In addition, regarding the relationship between the saliva flow rate per minute and NGF amount in saliva, the latter increased significantly with a rise in the former. These results indicate that the NGF amount in saliva is influenced by aging, masticatory function, and saliva amount. It is speculated that human salivary glands play an important role in the synthesis and expression of NGF.