title: [On the scientific foundation that the tissue structure of acupoints can decide and affect specificity of acupoints-organs effects].
abstract: Specificity of acupoints is one of the basic theories of the acupuncture and moxibustion sciences and is a very important basis to guide the clinical treatment of acupuncture and moxibustion. However, the scientific foundation of specificity of acupoints is still unclear, which has greatly restricted to the clinical effect improvement of acupuncture and moxibustion and has influenced to academic status of acupuncture and moxibustion sciences both in China and abroad. In this paper, the recent related researches are reviewed and then the key effects and mechanism that the tissue structure of acupoints can decide and affect specificity of acupoints-organs effects are analyzed and explored. It is held that acupuncture at the different tissue structure of the different depth in the different or the same acupoints will cause changes of varying qualities or degrees of visceral function because of stimulation of the different receptors in the different tissues followed by excitation of varying afferent nerve fibers.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Yu-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing-Jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Shu-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Hai-Feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Wei-Xing
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong-Xin
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiao-Chun
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D016896:Treatment Outcome