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Acupuncture therapy has a positive effect in the treatment of amblyopia. This article summarizes findings of the research on brain mechanisms underlying the regulatory effect of acupuncture on visual plasticity of amblyopia. In a multi-system and multi-level viewpoints, we elaborated brain mechanism underlying the regulatory effect of acupuncture on visual plasticity in amblyopia from the perspective of ultrastructure, plasticity, electrical activities, neural coding and visual microcirculation of the neurons of the visual cortex, and the targeting points from the visual center to the effector organ.

Acupuncture has been found effective for the treatment of amblyopia, and its mechanism has been investigated. A review of recently published research results indicated that when used to treat amblyopia, acupuncture induced changes in the action of neurotransmitters in the visual system, promoted the secretion and synthesis of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and stimulated the expression of genes related to visual plasticity.

In the present paper, the authors introduce a newly-developed "Acupuncture Needle Manipulation Training-evaluation System" based on optical motion capture technique. It is composed of two parts, sensor and software, and overcomes some shortages of mechanical motion capture technique. This device is able to analyze the data of operations of the pressing-hand and needle-insertion hand during acupuncture performance and its software contains personal computer (PC) version, Android version, and Internetwork Operating System (IOS) Apple version. It is competent in recording and analyzing information of any ope-rator's needling manipulations, and is quite helpful for teachers in teaching, training and examining students in clinical practice.

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture of "Zusanli" [ST 36, Ho (Sea)-acupoint] and "Zhongwan" (CV 12, front Mu-acupoint) on the expression of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) mRNA and SP mRNA in stress-induced gastric ulcer (GU) rats., Methods: Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group, simple bundling group, GU model group, CV 12 group, ST 36 group and CV 12 + ST 36 (Ho- and front Mu-acupoint combination) group, with 10 cases in each group. GU model was established by binding the rat's four limbs to an animal board and to immerse it to cool water for 24 h. Manual acupuncture stimulation was applied to CV 12, bilateral ST 36 or CV 12 + ST 36 for 20 min, once daily for 2 days. The GU index was evaluated by using Guth's method (1979). GnRH mRNA and SP mRNA expression of the hypothalamus tissue was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)., Results: Compared with the normal group, the GU index values in the simple bundling group and the model group were significantly higher (P < 0.01); while in comparison with the model group, the GU index values were significantly decreased in the CV 12, ST 36 and CV 12 + ST 36 groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Following stress stimulation, hypothalamic GnRH mRNA expression levels in the simple bundling group and the model group were remarkably increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), whereas those of hypothalamic SP mRNA expression had no apparent changes in these two groups (P > 0.05). After manual acupuncture intervention, hypothalamic GnRH mRNA expression levels in the CV 12, ST 36 and CV 12 + ST 36 groups were evidently down-regulated and SP mRNA expression levels in the ST 36 and CV 12+ ST 36 groups were remarkably upregulated in comparison with the model group (P < 0.01). No significant differences were found between the CV 12 and ST 36 groups in the GU index, among the CV 12, ST 36 and CV 12 + ST 36 groups in GnRH mRNA expression, and between the CV 12 and model groups in the expression levels of SP mRNA (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: Acupuncture of CV 12 and ST 36 can relieve stress-induced gastric ulcer in the rat, which is closely with its effect in down-regulating hypothalamic GnRH mRNA expression.

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Sanyin" acupoints (bilateral "Jiayin" and "Zhongyin") on the cellular immune function of rats with chronic abacterial prostatitis (CAP), so as to explore its mechanism underlying relieving CAP., Methods: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, model, medication (Cernilton) and EA (n = 10 rats/group). The CAP model was made by injection of allogeneic prostatein purification liquid + Freund's complete adjuvant (1:1) and diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT) vaccine (0.5 mL). EA was applied to bilateral "Jiayin" acupoints (located at the bilateral groins at the horizontal level of the upper border of the pubic symphysis) and "Zhongyin" [the midpoint between the "Huiyin" (CV 1) and the scrotum root, punctured with filiform needle] for 20 min, once daily for two therapeutic courses (15 days/course, one day break between the two courses). Rats of the medication group were given with oral administration of Cernilton (13 mg/kg) once daily for 15 days. Following killing the rats under deep anesthesia, the prostate wet weight, and prostate index (prostate weight/body weight) were determined. Pathological changes of the prostate tissue were examined by light microscope after sectioning and haematoxylin (HE) staining. Plasma levels of CD4+ Th- and CD8+ T-lymphocytes were assayed with flow cytometry., Results: Compared with the control group, the morphological structure of prostate tissues of rats in the model group was severely damaged (proliferation of the prostate epithelium and inflammatory cell infilitration), which was relatively milder in the EA group. The plasma CD4+ level and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were significantly lower in the model group than in the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, plasma CD4+ levels were significantly increased in both medication and EA groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and the CD4+ level of the EA group was considerably higher than that of the medication group (P < 0.05). The ratio of CD4+/CD8+ in the EA group was remarkably higher than that in the model group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found among the four groups in the prostate weight, prostate index and plasma CD8+ levels (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: EA stimulation of "Sanyin" points is beneficial to relieve chronic abacterial prostatitis, which may contribute to its effect in strengthening the cellular immune function via upregulation of plasma CD4+ and CD4+/ CD8+ levels.