Abstract

We examined the radioprotection effects of acupoint (acupuncture point) stimulation during organogenesis stages of ICR mice. Pregnant mice received 1.5 Gy whole body X-irradiation on day 8 of gestation, which is the early stage of organogenesis. The embryonic death rate and teratogenesis rate by radiation were examined. Electroacupuncture to the leg acupoints and/ or transcutaneous stimulation to the back acupoints on the pregnant mice showed no protective effect against irradiation on embryonic or fetal death rate. On the contrary, the strong stimulation resulted in increase in the mortality after irradiation rather than protection. However acupoint stimulation to the pregnant mice never showed harmful effects by itself on embryos. It tended to reduce the skeletal malformations induced by X-ray irradiation. We suspect that acupoint stimulation removed the cells injured by irradiation during embryonic development, resulting in an increase in embryonic death rate and reduction in skeletal anomalies.

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