[Acupuncture-serum decreases Ca2+ content in cultured rat myocardial cells].
OBJECTIVE
To explore whether humoral factors play a role in the mechanisms of acupuncture.


METHODS
Primary culture of myocardial cells of neonatal rats were carried out. Five days later, they were labeled by fluorescent molecular probe Fluo-3AM. Changes of Ca2+ contents in the cultured myocardial cells after addition of the normal rat serum or acupuncture-serum of the rat who received acupuncture at "Neiguan" (PC 6) and Jianshi (PC 5), were dynamically observed by a confocal laser scanning microscopy.


RESULTS
After addition of normal serum of the rat, the intracellular Ca2+ level increased to a certain degree, and then gradually tended to stability, which was significantly decreased by addition of the acupuncture-serum (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The serum of the rat who received acupuncture at acupoints can decrease the Ca2+ level in cultured myocardial cells, which provides a direct evidence for serum factors involving in acupuncture mechanism.
Luo
Ming-fu
MF
Institute of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China. psy_lmf@yahoo.com.cn
Li
Cui-hong
CH
Zhang
Jin-ling
JL
Guo
Ying
Y
Chen
Shu-ping
SP
Liu
Jun-ling
JL
Li
Rui-wu
RW
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D044967:Serum / Q000502:physiology*
D002118:Calcium