[Study on corresponding areas the liver and lung channels in brain with fMRI].
OBJECTIVE
To explore distribution of the Liver and Lung Channels in the brain so as to provide imaging basis for construction of channel theory in the brain.


METHODS
Sixty healthy student volunteers were randomly divided into a Liver Channel group (I) and a Lung Channel group (II), and the each group was further divided into five subgroups with 6 volunteers in each subgroup, based on five-shu-point principles which, were Dadun (LR 1, I 1), Xingjian (LR 2, I 2), Taichong (LR 3, I 3), Zhongfeng (LR 4, I 4), Ququan (LR 8, I 5), Shaoshang (LU 11, II 1), Yuji (LU 10, II 2), Taiyuan (LU 9, II 3), Jingqu (LU 8, II 4), and Chize (LU 5, II 5), respectively. In order to observe the brain activating patterns during acupuncture at the different acupoints, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique was adopted. All image data were then analyzed with SPM 2 software. The statistical parameter gram was composed of the pixel P < 0.01, and anatomic location was made according to Talairach coordinate, attaining experimentally activated areas, and the commonly activated area of five-shu-point of each channel was considered as the brain distribution of the Liver and Lung Channels.


RESULTS
The common areas activated by the five-shu-points of the Liver Channel were homolateral Brodmann area (BA) 34, BA 47, red nucleus, contralateral BA 19, BA 30, BA 39, the superior parietal lobule, cerebellum decline, and bilateral BA 3 and culmen. The common areas activated by the five-shu-points of the Lung Channels included homolateral BA 2, BA 18, BA 35, and contralateral BA 9 and substania nigra.


CONCLUSIONS
There are relatively specific corresponding brain areas for the Liver and Lung Channels, indicating that there is possible relatively specific connection between channels and the brain.
Xu
Fang-Ming
FM
College of TCM, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. fm100808@126.com
Xie
Peng
P
Lü
Fa-Jin
FJ
Mou
Jun
J
Li
Yong-Mei
YM
Zhao
Jian-Nong
JN
Chen
Wei-Juan
WJ
Gong
Qi-Yong
QY
Zhao
Li-Bo
LB
Liu
Qing-Jun
QJ
Shen
Lin
L
Zhai
Hong
H
Yang
De-Yu
DY
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver; D008168:Lung; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D016740:Meridians