Abstract
First, thank you for the special issue on Women in Acupuncture. The role of women in acupuncture education, research, and practice is inestimable. I read Dr. Li's article entitled “Song's Mast Cell Theory of Acupuncture,” 1 with special interest. Professor Song was truly a visionary and did indeed open a new field of investigation that continues to the present.
In 2006, I had the distinct honor of participating in an international course on methods of cellular acupuncture research, sponsored by Fudan University and the Shanghai Research Center for Acupuncture and Meridians, both in Shanghai, China. This was directed by Guan-ghong Ding, PhD, who remains one of the foremost basic science researchers in the acupuncture field. During that course, we learned much about the role of mast cells. We observed, firsthand, patch clamp studies that led to the discovery of the TRPV 1,2 and 4 receptors on mast-cell membranes. These studies were directed by Wolfgang Schwarz, PhD. We also spent time visiting Lun Fei, PhD, in the physical chemistry department at Fudan University.
Fei, PhD, had used proton-induced X-ray emission to show that acupuncture points have higher concentrations of extracellular Ca 2 ions. TRPV receptors are mechanoreceptors and, in the case of TRPV2 receptors, also responsive to heat. Their function is to open cation channels that allow Ca 2 ions to flood the cytoplasm, resulting in degranulation. Thus, mechanical coupling between the needle and connective tissue (i.e., De Qi) torques the cell membranes, activating the TRPV receptors, initiating the cascade that leads to the neurohumeral response, as described first by Dr. Song. 1 In the case of moxibustion, and probably laser stimulation, the TRPV2 receptors are activated by heat, and possibly light, resulting in the same cascade. 2
Much progress has been made in clarifying the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture. Much remains to be done. From my experience in Shanghai, based on the gender ratio I observed in the research course, as well as for those researchers I encountered then and in subsequent trips to China, I can attest to the fact that women are playing—and will continue to play—a huge role in the advancement of our understanding of acupuncture.