title: [Impacts of acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) on facial EMG in rhesus monkeys under the physiological state].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the specificity relationship between acupuncture at "Hegu" (LI 4) and the facial muscular movement in rhesus monkeys under the physiological state by using neuromuscular electrical measurement technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen rhesus monkeys were randomized into a Hegu group, a Houxi group and a Waiguan group, 6 monkeys in each one. Under the physiological state, EMG was detected on the frontal muscle, zygomatic muscle and orbicular muscle before and after acupuncture at different acupoints. The impacts of acupuncture on the facial EMG were studied and compared among different acupoints.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With acupuncture at "Hegu" (LI 4), the latency was reduced (P < 0.01) and the peak value and area were increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) in the frontal EMG; the area and the peak value were increased (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) and latency was reduced (P < 0.05) in the zygomatic EMG; the frequency was increased (P < 0.01) and the latency was reduced (P < 0.05) in the orbicular EMG. Before and after acupuncture at "Hegu" (LI 4), the change rates of EMG frequency, peak value, area and latency on the frontal, zygomatic and orbicular muscles were higher than those at "Houxi" (SI 3) and "Waiguan" (TE 5) (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) separately.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relative specificity presents between Hegu (LI 4) and facial muscular movement.
authors.affiliation: Sub-Health Center of Sichuan Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ding-Jun
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Qi-Zhi
authors.initials: QZ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xing-Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Han-Qi
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Lu-Chen
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xu-Guang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D004576:Electromyography; D005145:Face / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal