Response of Local Nitric Oxide Release to Manual Acupuncture and Electrical Heat in Humans: Effects of Reinforcement Methods

Figure 2

Quantification of NO metabolites over the pericardium meridian following manual acupuncture (MA). Concentrations of total nitrite plus nitrate () along the PC meridian were collected over acupoints, meridian lines without acupoint (MWOP), and nonmeridian control region (NMCR) during 20 min of MA (the 1st biocapture, the left panel) and 20 min after MA (the 2nd biocapture, the right panel) in healthy volunteers. MA was performed on PC4 in one arm selected at random, while the opposing arm served as control. concentrations in the biocapture solution (M, top) and efflux rate calculated over the surface area in contact with the biocapture solution over a 20 min duration (nmol/cm²20 min, bottom) were significantly increased over PC acupoints and NMCR by MA of PC4 in the stimulated side compared to the side without stimulation. Each bar represents the mean values and vertical bars represent SEM; , compared with untreated side; , compared with MWOP and NMCR; , compared with 1st biocapture.