Lee, Byung-Cheon; Uhm, Ki-Hoon; Bae, Kyoung-Hee; Kang, Dae-In; Soh, Kwang-Sup

Objectives: To find the potential acupuncture points by using Trypan blue staining on the skin of rat and Nude mouse. Methods: 0.4% Trypan blue was applied to the skin of rat or Nude mouse previously treated by surfactant. Washing by warm saline was followed after enough application of trypan blue and surfactant. Frequency of Trypan blue application should be varied to the experimental animals' condition for visualizing significant spots. Results: Blue spots appeared roughly in symmetry along kidney meridian or stomach meridian. Several spots outside of kidney or stomach meridian were also observed; however, the detail stereoscopic images of those blue spots were slightly different according to the position blue-colored. DiI signals were visualized along blood vessel after DiI injection into the Trypan blue-visualized blue spots. Conclusion: Our method to visualize the potential acupuncture points as a blue spot on rat and Nude mouse skins may contribute to the next step for finding specific flowing channels among blue spots.

acupuncture point; Trypan blue, 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'- tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI); Bonghan

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