The anatomical basis of acupuncture meridians continues to be enigmatic. Although much attention has been placed on potential correlations with inter/intramuscular fascia or lower electrical impedance, animal studies performed in the past 40 years have shown that tracer dyes—specifically Tc-99m pertechnetate—injected at strategic skin points generate linear migrations closely aligning with acupuncture meridians. To evaluate whether this phenomenon is also observable in humans, we injected two fluorescent dyes—fluorescein sodium and indocyanine green (ICG)—into the dermal layer both at acupuncture points (PC5, PC6, and PC7) and a nonacupoint control. Fifteen healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Of the 19 trials of fluorescein injected at PC6, 15 (79%) were associated with slow diffusion of the dye proximally along a path matching closely with the pericardium meridian. Furthermore, the dye emerged and coalesced proximally at exactly acupoint PC3. Injections of ICG at the acupoints PC5, PC6, or PC7 showed a similar trajectory close to the injection site but diverged when migrating proximally, failing converge on acupoint PC3. Injections of either dye at an adjacent PC6-control did not generate any notable linear pathway. Both ultrasound imaging and vein-locating device did not reveal any corresponding vessels (arterial or venous) at the visualized tracer pathway but did demonstrate correlations with intermuscular fascia.

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The linkage between Qi and mitochondria was investigated by exploring the effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Qi-invigorating herbs on mitochondrial function at the biochemical and molecular levels. Three Chinese herbs (Astragali radix, Herba cistanche, Panax ginseng) were used to treat cultured mouse kidney cells and the generation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was measured. The Qi-invigorating herb, Astragali radix, was selected for further study using additional biological and molecular parameters, including ATP, reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), mtDNA copies, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), cell growth, cell viability and transcriptomes. We also chose two concentrations of Astragali radix to study the hormetic effect. The results indicated that: 1) Qi-invigorating herbs have significant effects on the function of mitochondria, with ATP production and the antioxidant capacity being significantly enhanced, and ROS levels being reduced, allowing for a more optimal oxidation environment. The effect of the herbs followed a hormetic curve with a stimulating effect at lower doses but an inhibiting effect at high doses; 2) The growth of the cells was not affected despite numerous biochemical changes associated with mitochondrial function, indicating the powerful ability of mitochondria to maintain cellular homeostasis; 3) The up-regulation of NOCT gene, related to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) synthesis, offers a molecular basis for the ATP-promoting effect of the Qi-invigorating herbs. This work provides additional insight into the efficacy of TCM herbs from a western perspective.

The goal of this work was to evaluate the biological effect of the extremely-low-frequencies. We started by evaluating the effect of frequencies with the anti-bacterial functions listed in the Rife frequency database on the growth of Escherichia coli. Among the 11 sets of frequencies tested, we found that only one set comprising frequencies below 100 Hz showed a significant effect on the growth of E. coli, and it was an enhancement effect instead of an inhibition on growth. We further tested various sets of frequencies without anti-bacterial functions but comprising frequencies below 100 Hz, and they all exhibited significant promoting effect on the growth of E. coli when exposed to the irradiation for 1 h. We further evaluated the effect of the extremely low-frequency on the growth of E. coli by scanning from 0-100 Hz. The results showed that the growth rate was noticeably enhanced for the group exposed to the irradiation at the range of 0-100 Hz, with the range of 40-60 Hz being the most effective. In addition, the effect was time-dependent, demonstrated by a significant increase of growth rate observed after exposure of 1h but a slight decrease for exposure of 16 h. The results of this study provided robust data on the biological effect of ELF on the growth of E. coli, an important group of human microbiota, which has critical implication on the safety risk of these frequencies on human health.

Adenine nucleotides and malondialdehyde (MDA) are key components involved in energy metabolism and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Measuring the levels of these components at the same time would be critical in studying mitochondrial functions. We have established a HPLC method to simultaneously measure adenosine triphosphate, adenosine diphosphate, adenosine monophosphate, MDA, and uric acid (UA). The samples were treated with perchloric acid followed by centrifugation. After neutralization, the supernatant was subjected to HPLC determination.HPLC was performed using a C18 chromatographic column, isocratic elusion, and UV detection. The detection and quantification limits for these components were determined with standard solutions. The precision, repeatability, and 24-h stability were evaluated using cellular samples, and their relative standard deviations were all within 2%. The reproducibility and efficiency were confirmed with sample recovery tests and the observed oxidative effects of H 2 O 2 on Jurkat cells. With this method, we discovered the dependence of energy and oxidative states on the density of Jurkat cells cultured in suspension. We also found a significant correlation between UA in serum and that in saliva. These results indicate that this method has good accuracy and applicability. It can be used in biological, pharmacological, and clinical studies, especially those involving mitochondria, ROS, and purinergic signaling.