Background/Aims: Several studies have assessed the effect of cool temperature on colonic peristalsis. Transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) is a temperature-sensitive ion channel activated by mild cooling expressed in the colon. We examined the antispasmodic effect of cool temperature on colonic peristalsis in a prospective, randomized, single-blind trial and based on the video imaging and intraluminal pressure of the proximal colon in rats and TRPM8-deficient mice. Methods: In the clinical trial, we randomly assigned a total of 94 patients scheduled to undergo colonoscopy to 2 groups: the mildly cool water (n = 47) and control (n = 47) groups. We used 20 mL of 15°C water for the mildly cool water. The primary outcome was the proportion of subjects with improved peristalsis after treatment. In the rodent proximal colon, we evaluated the intraluminal pressure and performed video imaging of the rodent proximal colon with cool water administration into the colonic lumen. Clinical trial registry website (Trial No. UMIN-CTR; UMIN000030725). Results: In the randomized controlled trial, after treatment, the proportion of subjects with no peristalsis with cool water was significantly higher than that in the placebo group (44.7% vs 23.4%; P < 0.05). In the rodent colon model, cool temperature water was associated with a significant decrease in colonic peristalsis through its suppression of the ratio of peak frequency (P < 0.05). Cool temperaturetreated TRPM8-deficient mice did not show a reduction in colonic peristalsis compared with wild-type mice. Conclusion For the first time, this study demonstrates that cool temperature-dependent suppression of colonic peristalsis may be associated with TRPM8 activation.

In 1989 the Japan Acupoints Committee decided upon standard locations for acupoints based upon a rational method of proportional distribution and points of the same names but different locations were expressed by attaching the location indicator before the name such as _??__??__??_. However as study of the naming of points of the same names and different locations is yet incomplete it remains as a topic for further investigation. As one aspect of this investigation I examined related literature from ancient China through the Edo Period in Japan to determine how points of the same names but different locations were expressed and named in an effort to consider how they should be called hereforth.
An analysis of the modes of expression in the investigated literature showed that in Japan through the Edo Period for the most part the location of the point was read using the Japanese reading of the Chinese character and the helper article “NO” (meaning of or belonging to) was inserted between the location and the point name, however methods of expression in many cases were not unified. No tendency toward an effort for unified nomenclature was observed, rather points seemed to be named independently.
Now that nomenclature is being unified, when we consider the expressions for points of the same names but different locations I propose that we should consider the reading of the special anatomical name, the reading adopted by WHO and the reading of the names of other acupoints compositely, and name the points according to the tonal reading of the Chinese character, for example “Shusanri” for what we have heretofore referred to as Te No Sanri (LI10).