Primo vascular system accompanying a blood vessel from tumor tissue and a method to distinguish it from the blood or the lymph system

Kininogen-Nitric Oxide Signaling at Nearby Nonexcited Acupoints after Long-Term Stimulation

Acupuncture treatment is based on acupoint stimulation; however, the biological basis is not understood. We stimulated one acupoint with catgut embedding for 8 weeks and then used isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation to screen proteins with altered expression in adjacent acupoints of Sprague Dawley rats. We found that kininogen expression was significantly upregulated in the stimulated and the nonstimulated adjacent acupoints along the same meridian. The enhanced kininogen expression was meridian dependent and was most apparent among small vessels in the subcutaneous layer. Enhanced signals of nitric oxide synthases, cGMP-dependent protein kinase, and myosin light chain were also observed at the nonstimulated adjacent acupoints along the same meridian. These findings uncover biological changes at acupoints and suggest the critical role of the kininogen–nitric oxide signaling pathway in acupoint activation.

Mechanism of the neuroprotective effect of injecting brain cells on ST36 in an animal model of Parkinson's disease

In Parkinson's disease, the dopaminergic neurons of the brain are destroyed. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter that acts on the basal ganglia of the brain, allowing precise body movement. In the early stages of Parkinson's disease, levodopa appears to alleviate clinical symptoms; however, during long-term use, motor complications occur. There is no clear treatment or remedy for Parkinson's disease; therefore, the development of novel therapies is urgently required. In the present study, mouse choroid plexus cells were transplanted into ST36 in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease to determine whether the motor function could be restored. Pole tests showed changes in motor dysfunction in the mice. The athletic ability of the mice was significantly lowered after 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) injection and significantly increased after choroidal neuron cell treatment. Injection of di-alkyl indocarbocyanine (DiI) (as a trace substance) confirmed that the choroid plexus cells injected into acupuncture point ST36 were transferred to the brain. In the Parkinson's disease model, choroid plexus cell injection into ST36 inhibited the decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression and decreased the activation of inflammatory factors mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase (COX2) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS). Apoptosis factors Cytochrome C and BCL2 associated X, apoptosis regulator (BAX) levels were decreased and B-Cell CLL/Lymphoma 2 (BCL2) levels were increased. Taken together, these results suggest that the injection of choroid plexus cell at ST36 had neuroprotective effects in the Parkinson's disease mouse model. The results suggest new possibilities for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

The role of lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis in tumor metastasis

BACKGROUND

Metastasis is the main cause of mortality in cancer patients. Two major routes of cancer cell spread are currently being recognized: dissemination via blood vessels (hematogenous spread) and dissemination via the lymphatic system (lymphogenous spread). Here, our current knowledge on the role of both blood and lymphatic vessels in cancer cell metastasis is summarized. In addition, I will discuss why cancer cells select one or both of the two routes to disseminate and I will provide a short description of the passive and active models of intravasation. Finally, lymphatic vessel density (LVD), blood vessel density (BVD), interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) and tumor hypoxia, as well as regional lymph node metastasis and the recently discovered primo vascular system (PVS) will be highlighted as important factors influencing tumor cell motility and spread and, ultimately, clinical outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis are important phenomena involved in the spread of cancer cells and they are associated with a poor prognosis. It is anticipated that new discoveries and advancing knowledge on these phenomena will allow an improvement in the treatment of cancer patients.

A Hyaluronic Acid-Rich Node and Duct System in Which Pluripotent Adult Stem Cells Circulate

Regenerative medicine is in demand of adult pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). The "Bonghan System (BHS)" was discovered and suggested to contain cells with regenerative capacity in the early 1960s. It had been ignored for a long time due to the lack of sufficient details of experiments, but about 37 years after the initial report, the BHS was rediscovered and named as the "primo vascular system." Recently, we have discovered a similar structure, which contained a high level of hyaluronic acid, and hence, named the structure as hyaluronic acid-rich node and duct system (HAR-NDS). Here we discuss the HAR-NDS concept starting from the discovery of BHS, and findings pointing to its importance in regenerative medicine. This HAR-NDS contained adult PSCs, called node and duct stem cells (NDSCs), which appeared to circulate in it. We describe the evidence that NDSCs can differentiate into hemangioblasts that further produced differentiated blood cells. The NDSCs had a potential to differentiate into neuronal cells and hepatocytes; thus, NDSCs had a capability to become cells from all three germ layers. This system appears to be a promising alternative source of adult stem cells that can be easily delivered to their target tissues and participate in tissue regeneration.

Hypothesis on the Treatment of Gliomas with Acupuncture at the Primo Node Corresponding to Zusanli (ST 36)

Background: The primo vascular system (PVS) is an anatomical structure that is a network of ducts with fluid flowing in them, which are called primo vessels and correspond to acupuncture meridians, and primo nodes that correspond to acupoints. The PVS' main function is considered to be the maintenance of regenerative homeostasis in human and animal bodies. This system is distributed throughout the bodies of normal animals and develops around and in cancer tissues. This cancer-associated PVS may be a critical metastatic path besides the blood and the lymph vessels. The author of this article proposes a hypothesis on cancer treatment: Injecting anticancer drugs into acupoints according to the pharmacopuncture method can be effective as a result of the flow channels of the PVS. The author considers the acupoint Zusanli (ST 36) and the route of the primo vessels starting from it. This specific PVS route runs along the perineurium of the sciatic nerve, the pia mater, and the arachnoid mater of the spinal cord to the brain. Thus, by injecting a suitable anticancer drug into ST 36, one can deliver the drug into the brain to treat gliomas and other brain tumors. This new drug-delivery method is just one of the new clinical applications that are possible by combining acupuncture and using the PVS. Conclusions: Anticancer drugs for glioma can be injected into the primo node at the acupoint ST 36 to reach the cancer tissue through the PVS in the sciatic nerve, spine, and brain that can avoid the blood-brain barrier.