Dataset Information

Difference in Moxibustion-Induced Microcirculatory Responses between the Heart and Lung Meridians Assessed by Laser Doppler Flowmetry.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

By comparing the differences in microcirculatory responses of the heart and lung meridians induced by moxibustion on these two meridians, respectively, this study aimed to investigate the specificity for site-to-site association on body surface between different meridians.

Methods

Eighty healthy adults were enrolled and divided into the lung meridian intervention group and heart meridian intervention group in a ratio of 1 : 1. Three-channel laser Doppler flowmetry was used to monitor microcirculatory responses for the heart and lung meridians. Primary outcome was change of blood perfusion units (PU) of three measurement sites along the two meridians.

Results

In the lung meridian intervention group, following moxibustion performed at LU5 of the lung meridian, PU in the distal site of the lung meridian increased significantly. By contrast, the PU of HT3 in the heart meridian, which was nearest to the moxibustion site, did not change significantly. PU in the distal site of the heart meridian declined. Meanwhile, significant difference in PU change was detected between the distal site of the lung meridian and the other two control sites of the heart meridians during moxibustion and postmoxibustion. Alternatively, similar to the results of the lung meridian intervention group, the specificity of microcirculatory response between the heart and lung meridians was observed in the heart meridian intervention group.

Conclusions

For the heart and lung meridians, the effect of moxibustion-induced microcirculatory response may be more related to meridian routes than the specific distance between two sites located at different meridians, thereby supporting possible specificity for site-to-site association on the body surface between these two meridians. Nevertheless, given that only two meridians and limited measurement sites were compared, all current findings are not sufficiently robust. Further research should be conducted to investigate more meridians and measurement sites.

SUBMITTER: Jiang Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8032512 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:ObjectivesBy comparing the differences in the thermal transport effect between the heart and lung meridians induced by moxibustion, this study aimed to investigate the specificity of site-to-site associations on the body surface between different meridians.MethodsEighty healthy participants were divided into the heart meridian intervention group and the lung meridian intervention group; moxibustion was performed at these two meridians, respectively. Baseline temperature and its change magnitude from baseline induced by moxibustion in 6 measuring sites of the heart and lung meridians were assessed by infrared thermography (IRT). Measuring sites included: Site 1 (Chize, LU5), Site 2 (midpoint of LU9 and LU5), Site 3 (Taiyuan, LU9), Site 4 (Shaohai, HT3), Site 5 (midpoint of HT7 and HT3), and Site 6 (Shenmen, HT7).ResultsForty participants (20 male and 20 female, 27.90 ± 0.52 years) were assigned to the heart meridian intervention group, and 40 participants (20 male and 20 female, 28.08 ± 0.54 years) were assigned to the lung meridian intervention group. In the lung meridian intervention group (moxibustion over LU5), the temperature of the distal sites in the lung meridian increased significantly at 5, 10, and 15 min compared with pre-moxibustion (P < 0.001). The temperature of Site 4 in the heart meridian, which was nearest to the moxibustion site, increased significantly compared with pre-moxibustion (P < 0.05), while the temperature in the distal sites of the heart meridian did not differ significantly during moxibustion. Regarding the comparison of temperature change magnitude from baseline (ΔT) between the two meridians, the ΔT of Site 2 in the lung meridian was significantly higher than Site 4 in the heart meridian at 5 and 10 min after moxibustion (P < 0.05), despite that Site 2 was more distal from the moxibustion site than Site 4. Similarly, the ΔT of Site 3 in the lung meridian was significantly higher than Site 5 and Site 6 in the heart meridian at 5, 10, and 15 min after moxibustion (P < 0.05). In the heart meridian invervention group, similar thermal transport effect between the two meridians was observed. The thermal transport effect of the distal sites along the heart meridian was more significant than that of the site closer to the moxibustion site but located in the lung meridian. Taken together, aforementioned results indicated that the moxibustion-induced thermal transport effect between the heart and lung meridians is generally more significant in the distal sites along the corresponding meridian than that in the closer sites of the other meridian.ConclusionsIn the heart and lung meridians, the moxibustion-induced thermal transport effect is closely related to meridian routes, not just related to the absolute distance from the moxibustion site, thereby confirming the relative specificity of "site-to-site" associations on the body surface in these two meridians.Systematic review registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05330403, identifier NCT05330403.