Zusanli

Zusanli ( _zh. 足三里, ST36) is an acupoint, a point of the skin that is stimulated, with various techniques, in the practice of acupuncture. It is located below the knee, on the anterior tibialis muscle, along the stomach meridian.

Therapeutic uses and scientific validation

The stimulation of zusanli was shown to decrease inflammation, as evidenced by decreased cytokines (including interleukin-6) and inhibition of edema in a rat model of inflammation involving carrageenan injection.cite journal
author=Chae Y, Hong MS, Kim GH, "et al"
title=Protein array analysis of cytokine levels on the action of acupuncture in carrageenan-induced inflammation
journal=Neurol. Res.
volume=29 Suppl 1
issue=
pages=S55–8
year=2007
pmid=17359642
doi=10.1179/016164107X172365
issn=] Zusanli activation also improves insulin sensitivity cite journal
author=Chang SL, Lin KJ, Lin RT, Hung PH, Lin JG, Cheng JT
title=Enhanced insulin sensitivity using electroacupuncture on bilateral Zusanli acupoints (ST 36) in rats
journal=Life Sci.
volume=79
issue=10
pages=967–71
year=2006
pmid=16762373
doi=10.1016/j.lfs.2006.05.005
issn=] and cerebral blood flow (an effect mediated by nitric oxide),cite journal
author=Hsieh CL, Chang QY, Lin IH, "et al"
title=The study of electroacupuncture on cerebral blood flow in rats with and without cerebral ischemia
journal=Am. J. Chin. Med.
volume=34
issue=2
pages=351–61
year=2006
pmid=16552844
doi=10.1142/S0192415X06003886
issn=] while it decreases sympathetic nerve activity and arterial pressure.cite journal
author=Michikami D, Kamiya A, Kawada T, "et al"
title=Short-term electroacupuncture at Zusanli resets the arterial baroreflex neural arc toward lower sympathetic nerve activity
journal=Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol.
volume=291
issue=1
pages=H318–26
year=2006
pmid=16501021
doi=10.1152/ajpheart.00975.2005
issn=] An analgesic effect, mediated in part by nitric oxide as well, through the upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS),cite journal
author=Kim EH, Park HJ, Lee H, "et al"
title=Analgesic effects by electroacupuncture were decreased in inducible nitric oxide synthase knockout mice
journal=Neurol. Res.
volume=29 Suppl 1
issue=
pages=S28–31
year=2007
pmid=17359637
doi=10.1179/016164107X172257
issn=] an increase in endogenous opiates,cite journal
author=Kim SK, Moon HJ, Na HS, "et al"
title=The analgesic effects of automatically controlled rotating acupuncture in rats: mediation by endogenous opioid system
journal=The journal of physiological sciences : JPS
volume=56
issue=3
pages=259–62
year=2006
pmid=16839460
doi=10.2170/physiolsci.SC002706
issn=] cite journal
author=Jung JY, Yang HR, Jeong YJ, "et al"
title=Effects of acupuncture on c-Fos expression in brain after noxious tooth stimulation of the rat
journal=Am. J. Chin. Med.
volume=34
issue=6
pages=989–1003
year=2006
pmid=17163588
doi=10.1142/S0192415X06004466
issn=] muscarinic cholinergic receptors and serotonin receptors 5-HT1a and 5-HT3, was repeatedly evidenced.

The stimulation of zusanli decreases the locomotor activity elicited by nicotine administration and decreases Fos-like immunoreactivity in the basal ganglia (striatum and nucleus accumbens) in a rat model of nicotine sensitisation.cite journal
author=Chae Y, Yang CH, Kwon YK, "et al"
title=Acupuncture attenuates repeated nicotine-induced behavioral sensitization and c-Fos expression in the nucleus accumbens and striatum of the rat
journal=Neurosci. Lett.
volume=358
issue=2
pages=87–90
year=2004
pmid=15026155
doi=10.1016/j.neulet.2003.12.121
issn=] Those changes in the basal ganglia also improve the alcohol withdrawal syndrome in similar experimental conditions.cite journal
author=Kim JH, Chung JY, Kwon YK, "et al"
title=Acupuncture reduces alcohol withdrawal syndrome and c-Fos expression in rat brain
journal=Am. J. Chin. Med.
volume=33
issue=6
pages=887–96
year=2005
pmid=16355445
doi=10.1142/S0192415X0500348X
issn=]

References