Acupuncture effects on the body's defence systems and conditions responsive to AP

AP IN THE TREATMENT OF FEVER

Clinical fever: AP is used to reduce fever in many specific and non-specific conditions in humans. For this purpose, the points most often used are LI04, LI11 and GV14. For instance, these points are used to reduce fever in influenza, poliomyelitis, malaria, typhoid, cholera etc and in post-operative sepsis. The same points are used in non-specific fevers.

Experimental fever was induced in rabbits by injection of typhoid vaccine. Needling of points ST36 and GV14 consistently reduced body temperature in the experimental rabbits but normal temperatures were not reached. However, repeated needling at these points reduced the duration of the fever as compared with the duration in control rabbits. Other Chinese experiments also confirmed the anti-febrile effects of AP in monkeys with experimental bacillary dysentery. In clinical veterinary practice, needling of points ST36; GV14; LI04; LI11 is recommended to help reduce fever in many specific and non-specific cases.

AP EFFECTS ON ANTIBODY LEVELS

Papers presented at the AP symposium at Beijing (1979) noted strong effects of AP in stimulating the immune response in humans and animals (6). Needling TienShu (ST25) and ShangChuHsu (ST37) increased immunoglobulins and specific antibody levels in blood of rabbits and monkeys experimentally infected with bacillary dysentery and in naturally-occurring cases in humans. In clinical cases of human malaria, AP increases serum complement levels.

Injection of specific antigen into many species of experimental animals (rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, monkeys) has been used to examine the antibody response to AP. The main points which enhance antibody production are LI04; HsuanChung (GB39) penetrating to San Yin Chiao (SP06); ST36. In these experiments, AP caused a faster rise in antibody level, a higher plateau and longer persistence of antibody than in the inoculated but non- acupunctured animals.

AP EFFECTS ON PHAGOCYTES, RETICULO-ENDOTHELIAL SYSTEM AND LYMPHOID TISSUE

Under experimental conditions in humans, needling LI11 caused neutrophilia (leucocytosis), whereas needling a placebo point had no effect. In clinical medicine, LI11 (sometimes with as LI04, GV14 and ST36) is frequently used in infections and in other conditions in which activation of the neutrophils and reticulo-endothelial system is required. It is hardly coincidence that these effects are stimulated by the same points which activate the antibody system and that these points are valuable in the therapy of infections in humans.

Similarly, in animals, points such as LI4, LI11, ST36 and GV14, cause leucocytosis and increase phagocytosis in experimental studies, as well as in clinical infections. For example, AP at LI11 caused leucocytosis in rabbits whereas placebo points did not produce this effect. Similarly, when plasma from rabbits needled at LI11 was injected into control rabbits, they also developed leucocytosis, whereas plasma from control rabbits injected into other controls caused a leucopenia. The release of a humoral leucocytic factor has been shown by other studies. It was also shown that this effect of AP was inhibited by nerve section above the point or by local anaesthesia of the point before needling. This demonstrates that the input signal to the hypothalamus is transmitted via the peripheral sensory nerve.

Japanese workers challenged rabbits and rats with bovine serum albumin. ST36 and PangGu (new points on the limbs) were needled. Marked histological changes occurred in the lymph nodes of the acupunctured limb (enlargement of the lymph sinuses, haemorrhage, increase in mast cells and degranulation. A rapid increase in plasma cells occurred in 48 hours). It could be argued that these changes were of an inflammatory nature rather than an immune response. However, the other data of the trial indicated definite immune enhancement of antibody production and lymphocytopenia.

AP also caused release of a humoral bactericidal factor. In experimental bacillary dysentery in rabbits and monkeys, AP at ST25 and ST37 increased the bactericidal activity of plasma by 50% after 30 minutes and by 70% after 3 hours. In these experiments, the phagocytic activity of the reticulo-endothelial system of the liver increased 46% after 6 days and 63% after 12 days of AP. The treated animals ceased to excrete the bacilli in faeces in 4-5 days, whereas control animals (untreated by AP) were still excreting bacilli after 21 days. All the symptoms (fever, abdominal pain, tenesmus, bowel frequency etc)were eliminated by AP. In 800 clinical cases of bacillary dysentery in humans, AP alone, given 1-3 times daily for 5-10 days was effective therapy in 90% of patients. The symptoms were controlled and the organisms were eliminated from the faeces.