How can we explain biochemically the action of medicine and acupuncture on the regulation of our bodily processes?
By admin • Sep 6th, 2007 • Category: Uncategorized1. Via the Central Nervous System.
By affecting (stimulating or inhibiting) the action of neurotransmitters, medicine and herbs can regulate our bodily processes. For example, a herb which is warm in nature has a stimulating action, while one which is cool in nature may have an inhibitory action. In acupuncture, you can either choose points inclined towards either tonification or dissipation. Or you can vary your hand technique to cause such effect.
With white mice, cool herbs increase their threshold of pain. 5-HT increases. But adrenaline (NE) and dopamine production is reduced. The opposite holds true for warm herbs, i.e. increase pain threshold and 5-HT, reduced NE and dopamine.
2. Via the Autonomic Nervous System.
This could also be called the 心血管系统, since it is very much cardiovascular in nature. Herbs or acupuncture will affect heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature.
Remember that the autonomic nervous system is made up of the sympathetic and the parasympathetic? Well, be reminded also of the following:
a. stimulating the symp. n. system will activate beta-receptors and increase cAMP.
b. stimulating the parasymp. n. system will activate M-receptors and increase cGMP.
3. Via the Endocrine System.
Warm herbs will stimulate secretion. Cool herbs will inhibit secretion.
Note that when secretion is stimulated, it’s not the overall magnitude that increases, rather it’s like a faster rate of increase at the start and a lower rate of decrease at the end.
The main glands to focus on will be
a. thyroid gland (which governs overall metabolism)
b. adrenal gland
c. sex glands (ovaries & testicles)
4. By affecting Metabolism.
There will be a change in
- oxygen usage
- consumption of water (related to thirst)
- body temperature
The crux is the 动作电位. This is tightly related to Na+-K+-ATP酶活性, which herbs or acupuncture affects.
Energy (热量) is yang/heat in nature, and this heat comes from the mitochondria in the cell. ATP from the cells is the only internal source of energy.
Medicines and herbs will influence either the number of pumps of the efficacy of the pumps.
Above are four bi-polar schemas for regulation. We can also include a mono-directional action of cool herbs that kill (albeit not as strongly as western pharmaceuticals) microbial infection as well as cancer cells.