Acupuncture stimulates eNOS translocation and NO production along meridians

Abstract

The meridian theory is the central theory of many complementary and alternative medicines and it is the backbone of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. However, the biological mechanisms of the meridian system remain elusive. We hypothesized that acupuncture stimulates endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) translocation and NO production via the meridian communication system. We applied different time sequence electroacupuncture (DTS‐EA) on the Stomach 36 point (ST‐36) and measured periarteriolar nitric oxide concentration ([NO]) in the hamster cheek pouch. We found that 1) DTS‐EA increased [NO] in hypertensive hamsters, but not in healthy control animals; 2) the second EA treatment caused faster rise in [NO] compared to the first EA treatment; 3) importantly, DTS‐EA increased total eNOS and phosphorylated eNOS in cheek pouch and stomach (both in the stomach meridian), but not in liver (a non‐stomach meridian organ); 4) DTS‐EA enhanced the preferential translocation of eNOS to the Golgi‐enriched fraction, a location consistent with the onset of vasodilation. Our data confirm that activation of eNOS is an important signaling mechanism stimulated by acupuncture, and demonstrate that acupuncture signals are transmitted via specific meridians. (Supported by NIH grants 5R21 AT004609 and 5R01 HL070634).