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Kim HG. Achievements of PVS (Primo Vascular System) Research from a Historical Perspective. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2022; 15:50-60. [DOI: 10.51507/j.jams.2022.15.1.50] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hoon-Gi Kim
- College of Liberal Arts, Hongik University, Seoul, Korea
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2
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Mustafa FEZA. The Cellular Architecture of the Primo Vascular System. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2022; 15:4-11. [DOI: 10.51507/j.jams.2022.15.1.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
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3
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Stefanov M. Primo Vascular System: Before the Past, Bizarre Present and Peek After the Future. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2022; 15:61-73. [DOI: 10.51507/j.jams.2022.15.1.61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Stefanov
- Department of Morphology, Physiology and Nutrition, Agricultural Faculty, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
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Mustafa FEZA. Putative Primo-Vascular System in Rabbit Placenta. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2019; 12:20-24. [PMID: 30684675 DOI: 10.1016/j.jams.2019.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The primo vascular system (PVS) is a very important topic of study nowadays because of their role in transport and regeneration of tissue and in cell migration and cancer metastasis. The PVS was detected in different organs of the rabbit but not in the placenta. In this work, we observe the PVS inside the blood vessels of the placenta for the first time. The main characteristic features of the primo vessels (PVs) from the rabbit placenta were in agreement with the PVS in different organs of animals, including the rod-shaped nuclei and their arrangement.
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Chikly B, Roberts P, Quaghebeur J. Primo Vascular System: A Unique Biological System Shifting a Medical Paradigm. J Osteopath Med 2016; 116:12-21. [PMID: 26745560 DOI: 10.7556/jaoa.2016.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The primo vascular system has a specific anatomical and immunohistochemical signature that sets it apart from the arteriovenous and lymphatic systems. With immune and endocrine functions, the primo vascular system has been found to play a large role in biological processes, including tissue regeneration, inflammation, and cancer metastases. Although scientifically confirmed in 2002, the original discovery was made in the early 1960s by Bong-Han Kim, a North Korean scientist. It would take nearly 40 years after that discovery for scientists to revisit Kim's research to confirm the early findings. The presence of primo vessels in and around blood and lymph vessels, nerves, viscera, and fascia, as well as in the brain and spinal cord, reveals a common link that could potentially open novel possibilities of integration with cranial, lymphatic, visceral, and fascial approaches in manual medicine.
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Fung PCW, Kong RKC. The Integrative Five-Fluid Circulation System in the Human Body. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.4236/ojmip.2016.64005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Essential Experimental Methods for Identifying Bonghan Systems as a Basis for Korean Medicine: Focusing on Visual Materials from Original Papers and Modern Outcomes. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2015; 2015:682735. [PMID: 26539230 PMCID: PMC4619930 DOI: 10.1155/2015/682735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
In the 1960s, through studies on Korean Medicine, Bonghan Kim proposed the Bonghan systems (BS) as the anatomical reality of the acupuncture meridians based on various experimental data. Since 2002, several groups, mainly led by a team at Seoul National University, who renamed the BS as the primo vascular system (PVS), have published around 70 papers showing biological structures corresponding to the BS. However, it is still difficult for other researchers to find them, especially under the skin, which Bonghan Kim first reported as acupuncture points, due to similar-looking biological tissues, for example, the lymphatic vessels, and such artifacts as blood clots or fascia debris. To solve these drawbacks, we examined the main methods for identifying the BS by comparing the original papers with the modern outcomes in terms of the common physical/chemical characteristics of the BS. In addition, effective methods of staining and microscopic observations discovered by modern teams are synthetically explained using visual materials such as diagrams and photos. Through the essentially organized methods in this review paper, we suggest that one can find the BS under the skin as putative acupuncture points by tracing the intraexternal BS, from which a new Korean Medicine will be born.
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Stefanov M, Kim J. Visualizing the Peripheral Primo Vascular System in Mice Skin by Using the Polymer Mercox. J Pharmacopuncture 2015; 18:75-9. [PMID: 26389004 PMCID: PMC4573811 DOI: 10.3831/kpi.2015.18.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: As the peripheral part of the primo vascular system (PVS) is difficult to visualize, we used a vascular casting material Mercox injected directly into the skin to take advantage of a simple procedure to visualize PVS structures as primo vessels (PVs) and primo nodes (PNs) in the skin. Methods: Two colors of the polymer Mercox were injected into mouse skin. After a partial maceration of the whole body with potassium hydroperoxide solution, we anatomized it under a stereomicroscope to trace the Mercox that had been injected into the PVS. Results: Injection of Mercox directly into the skin allowed the PVs and the PNs to be visualized. This approach can fill the PVS when the material is ejected out of the PVs or PNs. The shapes, sizes, and topographic positions of the nodes and the vessels are the hallmarks used to identify the PVS in skin when Mercox is used as a tracer. Conclusion: The direct injection of the casting material Mercox into skin, with modified partial maceration procedures, is a promising method for visualizing the PVs and the PNs in the peripheral part of the PVS in skin. The polymer Mercox can penetrate through the primo pores of the primo vascular wall and fill the PVs and the PNs. The data prove that PVs and PNs exist on the hypodermal layer of the skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Stefanov
- Department of Animal Morphology, Physiology and Nutrition, Agricultural Faculty, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria ; Nano Primo Research Center, Advanced Institutes of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jungdae Kim
- Nano Primo Research Center, Advanced Institutes of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea ; Research Center of the Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute, Seoul, Korea
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Soh KS. Hypothesis on the Treatment of Gliomas with Acupuncture at the Primo Node Corresponding to Zusanli (ST 36). Med Acupunct 2015; 27:144-150. [PMID: 26155319 DOI: 10.1089/acu.2014.1089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang-Sup Soh
- Nano Primo Research Center, Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University , Suwon, Korea
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McDonald MJ. Will the Primo Vascular System Finally Solve the Mystery of Acupuncture? Med Acupunct 2015. [DOI: 10.1089/acu.2014.1075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mark J. McDonald
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Pediatric Acupuncture, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY
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Jung SJ, Bae KH, Nam MH, Kwon HM, Song YK, Soh KS. Primo vascular system floating in lymph ducts of rats. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2013; 6:306-18. [PMID: 24290795 DOI: 10.1016/j.jams.2013.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
An epoch-making development in the gross anatomy of the lymph system has emerged: the observation of the primo vascular system (PVS), which is a threadlike structure floating in lymph ducts. The PVS, which was proposed as the conduit for the acupuncture Qi, is a complex network distributed throughout an animal's body. The lymph-PVS, which is a subsystem of the PVS, is one of the most convincing visual demonstrations of the PVS. Because its existence is not easily demonstrated, even with a microscope, due to its transparency, in current anatomy its existence is largely unknown despite its potential significance in physiology and medicine. The lymph-PVS has been observed in rabbits, rats, and mice by several independent teams. Because the involved techniques are rather complicated, we provide detailed protocols for surgery, for injection of the staining dye, and for detection, extraction, and identification of the PVS in a rat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Jiyoon Jung
- Nano Primo Research Center, Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon, South Korea; Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon, South Korea
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Evidence for the Primo Vascular System above the Epicardia of Rat Hearts. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2013; 2013:510461. [PMID: 24023576 PMCID: PMC3762136 DOI: 10.1155/2013/510461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2013] [Revised: 06/25/2013] [Accepted: 06/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We for the first time reported evidence for the existence of a novel network, a PVS, abovethe epicardium of the rat heart. (1) We were consecutively able to visualize the PVs and the PNs above the epicardial spaces of five rats' hearts by using Cr-Hx spraying or injection. (2) Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and toluidine blue staining of the PVs and the PNs showed that they consisted of a basophilic matrix; specifically the PNs contained several mast cells, some of which were degranulating into pericardial space. Also, 4′, 6-diamidino-2 phenylindole (DAPI) images of the PVs and the PNs showed that they contained various kinds of cells. (3) Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) longitudinal image of the PVs showed that the sinuses contained many granules with high-electron-density cores in parallel with putative endothelial cells. (4) TEM images of the PNs demonstrated that they consisted of lumen-containing cells surrounded by fibers and that they had mast cells that were degranulating toward the epicardium of the rat heart. The above data suggest that mast-cells-containing novel network exists above the epicardium of the rat heart.
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50 years of bong-han theory and 10 years of primo vascular system. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2013; 2013:587827. [PMID: 23983793 PMCID: PMC3747427 DOI: 10.1155/2013/587827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2012] [Accepted: 03/16/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The primo vascular system (PVS) was first introduced by Bong-Han Kim via his five research reports. Among these the third report was most extensive and conclusive in terms of the PVS anatomy and physiology relating to the acupuncture meridians. His study results, unfortunately, were not reproduced by other scientists because he did not describe the materials and methods in detail. In 2002, a research team in Seoul National University reinitiated the PVS research, confirmed the existence of PVS in various organs, and discovered new characteristics of PVS. Two important examples are as follows: PVS was found in the adipose tissue and around cancer tissues. In parallel to these new findings, new methods for observing and identifying PVS were developed. Studies on the cell and material content inside the PVS, including the immune function cells and stem cells, are being progressed. In this review, Bong-Han Kim's study results in his third report are summarized, and the new results after him are briefly reviewed. In the last section, the obstacles in finding the PVS in the skin as an anatomical structure of acupuncture meridian are discussed.
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Toward a theory of the primo vascular system: a hypothetical circulatory system at the subcellular level. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2013; 2013:961957. [PMID: 23853665 PMCID: PMC3703347 DOI: 10.1155/2013/961957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2013] [Revised: 05/27/2013] [Accepted: 06/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
This paper suggests a theoretical framework for the primo vascular system (PVS), a hypothetical circulatory system, in which extracellular DNA microvesicles interact to form and break down cell structures. Since Bonghan Kim reported the existence of Bonghan ducts and the SNU research team reinvestigated and named it the PVS, there has been series of studies trying to examine its structure and functions. In this paper, we hypothesize that the PVS is the network system in which extracellular DNA microvesicles circulate and interact at the subcellular level, forming and breaking down cell structures. This idea integrates A. Béchamp's idea of microzymas and Bonghan Kim's idea of sanals. A proof of this idea may complement modern medical theory, perhaps providing an essential clue for an alternative solution dealing with modern healthcare problem.
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Primo vascular system in the lymph vessel from the inguinal to the axillary nodes. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2013; 2013:472704. [PMID: 23762141 PMCID: PMC3673341 DOI: 10.1155/2013/472704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 05/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The primo vascular system (PVS) in a lymph system was observed mostly in large caliber ducts around the caudal vena cava of rabbits, rats, and mice. This required a severe surgery with laparectomy and massive removal of fat tissues in the abdomen to expose the lymph vessel. In the current brief report, we presented a new method to evade these shortcomings by observing the PVS in a less large caliber duct in the skin, that is, the lymph vessel from the inguinal to the axillary nodes. The Alcian blue injection into the inguinal node revealed the desired primo vessel in the target lymph vessel. This opened a new perspective for the investigation of the lymphatic PVS without severe damage to subject animals and for monitoring of the PVS in a long period of time.
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Review and Comment on the Relationship between Primo Vascular System and Meridians. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2013; 2013:279176. [PMID: 23762119 PMCID: PMC3666320 DOI: 10.1155/2013/279176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2013] [Revised: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 04/10/2013] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
This paper aims to summarize the recent progress of researches on the primo vascular system (PVS) and to analyze characteristics between PVS and traditional Chinese meridians. With the distribution, position features, identification and origin of PVS, and its function related to meridians elaborated on, we propose that there is still a lack of enough evidence to support the correlation between PVS and traditional Chinese meridians.
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Primo vascular system accompanying a blood vessel from tumor tissue and a method to distinguish it from the blood or the lymph system. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2013; 2013:949245. [PMID: 23737856 PMCID: PMC3666305 DOI: 10.1155/2013/949245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2012] [Accepted: 03/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A primo vessel was observed in the abdominal cavity in the lung cancer mouse model, and its function as an extra metastatic path was observed. In this work, we found a primo vessel accompanying a blood vessel emanating from a tumor in the skin. We also presented simple and efficient criteria to distinguish a primo vessel from a blood or a lymph vessel and from a nerve. The criteria for using DAPI and Phalloidin will be useful in clinical situations to find and identify the primo vessels among the blood vessels, lymph vessels, or nerves in the tissue surrounding a tumor such as a melanoma or breast cancer.
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Lee BC, Sung B, Eom KH, Park ES, Kim MS, Kim SH, Ogay V, Kim KW, Ryu Y, Yoon YS, Soh KS. Novel threadlike structures on the surfaces of mammalian abdominal organs are loose bundles of fibrous stroma with microchannels embedded with fibroblasts and inflammatory cells. Connect Tissue Res 2013. [PMID: 23186263 DOI: 10.3109/03008207.2012.748757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Novel threadlike structures (NTSs) on the surfaces of mammalian abdominal organs have recently attracted interests regarding their ability to transport fluid, enable cell migration, and possibly facilitate cancer metastasis. Nevertheless, histological studies of NTSs have been sporadic and often have inconsistent interpretations of the NTS internal structure. In this article, we provide a synthetic and consistent view of the NTS internal structure: the NTS is a loose bundle of fibrous stroma that forms interstitial channels and microsinusoids infiltrated with inflammatory cells. The fibroblasts are embedded in the stroma and mostly aligned along the major axis of the NTS. The sinusoids, which are in inconsecutive cross sections, have boundaries more or less delineated by extracellular fibers, partly surrounded by endothelial-like cells, or both. We compare these morphological features to other well-known connective tissues (i.e., trabecular meshwork and lymphatic capillary) and discuss the biomechanical and biological functions of NTSs based on their structural characteristics.
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Lee HS, Lee BC. Visualization of the network of primo vessels and primo nodes above the pia mater of the brain and spine of rats by using Alcian blue. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2012; 5:218-25. [PMID: 23040102 DOI: 10.1016/j.jams.2012.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2011] [Revised: 12/26/2011] [Accepted: 01/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
By spraying and injecting Alcian blue into the lateral ventricle, we were able to visualize the network of the nerve primo vascular system above the pia mater of the brain and spine of rats. Staining these novel structures above the pia mater with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole demonstrated that they coexisted in cellular and extracellular DNA forms. The cellular primo node consisted of many cells surrounded by rod-shaped nuclei while the extracellular primo node had a different morphology from that of a general cell in terms of DNA signals, showing granular DNA in a threadlike network of extracellular DNA. Also, differently from F-actin in general cells, the F-actin in the primo vessel was short and rod-shaped. Light and transmission electron microscopic images of the PN showed that the nerve primo vascular system above the pia mater of the brain and spine was a novel dynamic network, suggesting the coexistence of DNA and extracellular DNA. Based on these data, we suggest that a novel dynamic system with a certain function exists above the pia mater of the central nerve system. We also discuss the potential of this novel network system in the brain and spine as related to acupuncture meridians and neural regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho-Sung Lee
- Pharmacopuncture Medical Research Center, Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute, Seoul, South Korea
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Protocol for the observation of the primo vascular system in the lymph vessels of rabbits. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2012; 5:234-40. [PMID: 23040104 DOI: 10.1016/j.jams.2012.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2012] [Revised: 05/23/2012] [Accepted: 05/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular-level understanding of the structure and the functions of the lymphatic system has greatly enhanced the importance of this second circulation system, especially in connection with cancer metastasis and inflammation. Recently, a third circulatory system, the primo vascular system (PVS) was found in various parts of an animal's body, especially as threadlike structures floating in the lymphatic flow in lymph vessels. Although the medical significance of this emerging system will require much work in the future, at present, several important suggestions in connection with immune cells, stem cells, and cancer metastasis have already appeared. Experiments to observe the PVS in the lymph vessels near the caudal vena cava of rabbits and rats have been performed by several independent teams, but reproduction requires considerable skill and technical know-how. In this article, we provide a detailed protocol to detect the PVS inside the lymph vessels of a rabbit. Detection and isolation are the first steps in unraveling the physiological functions of the PVS, which awaits intensive research.
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Kwon BS, Ha CM, Yu S, Lee BC, Ro JY, Hwang S. Microscopic nodes and ducts inside lymphatics and on the surface of internal organs are rich in granulocytes and secretory granules. Cytokine 2012; 60:587-92. [PMID: 22884518 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2012.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2012] [Revised: 07/11/2012] [Accepted: 07/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The blood and lymphatic systems are the two well-established circulatory systems. The existence of a third circulatory system representing acupuncture meridians was claimed in the 1960s. The very existence and function of the system, however, remained uncertain. We have found that microscopic nodes and ducts inside lymphatics, as well as on the surface of internal organs of the rat. The nodes and ducts are covered by a layer of EMP-3-positive spindle-shaped epithelium with, below, a layer of vWF-positive but CD31-negative endothelium. The nodes contain a variety of immune cells, usually enriched with mast cells, eosinophils, neutrophils and histiocytes, as well as chromaffin cells, other granule-containing cells. Secretory granules originating from the mast cells in the nodes appear to pass along ductules, two or more of which make up a duct. Our results reveal a potential circulatory system whose anatomical structure and cellular content differ from the blood and lymph systems, and which may be involved in the transport of secretory granules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byoung S Kwon
- Cancer Biology and Immunotherapy, National Cancer Center, Ilsan, Kyunggi-do, Republic of Korea.
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Lim J, Jung JH, Lee S, Su Z, Qiang Z, Cha JM, Lee JK, Soh KS. Estimating the density of fluorescent nanoparticles in the primo vessels in the fourth ventricle and the spinal cord of a rat. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2011; 16:116010. [PMID: 22112115 DOI: 10.1117/1.3647595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The primo vascular system is a novel circulatory system forming a network throughout an animal's body. Primo vessels were recently observed in the fourth ventricle of the brain and in the spinal cord of a rat by using fluorescent nanoparticles. In order to quantify the nanoparticles in the primo vessels, we measured the florescence of the nanoparticles and calibrated the measurements by using a reference suspension. We removed the noise due to autofluorescence with the technique of multispectral imaging. The line densities of nanoparticles and the contrast values of their images were, respectively, 0.5 ± 0.5 ng/mm and 0.7 ± 0.5 for primo vessels in the fourth ventricle, and 1.3 ± 0.6 ng/mm and 1.4 ± 0.2 for primo vessels in the spinal cord. The data obtained from and the procedures used in this work could be useful in evaluating the feasibility of using nanoparticles as a contrast agent during MRI or CT imaging of primo vessels in the brain or the spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaekwan Lim
- Seoul National University, Nano Primo Research Center, Advanced Institutes of Convergence Technology, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
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Catecholamine-storing cells at acupuncture points of rabbits. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2010; 1:83-90. [PMID: 20633459 DOI: 10.1016/s2005-2901(09)60027-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2008] [Accepted: 10/30/2008] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that specific sites of the skin related to the acupoints contain a high concentration of catecholamines, especially noradrenaline (NA). Considering this newly discovered property of the acupoints we assumed that heterogeneous distribution of cutaneous catecholamines could be associated with a specific location of catecholamine-storing cells in acupoint sites. In the present work we used an immunohistochemical method and confocal laser scanning microscopy to examine the presence of catecholamine-storing cells at acupoints of rabbits. Double immunofluorescence staining with antibodies against adrenaline and NA revealed only the cells storing NA in the dermal layer of rabbit skin. NA-storing cells were randomly scattered as single cells as well as existing in small clusters in a globular tissue formation surrounded by blood vessels and capillaries. Microscopic analysis of histological sections also revealed that the distribution of NA-storing cells was closely associated with the location of acupoints. Thus results from our study strongly suggest that acupoint areas of rabbit skin contain catecholamine-storing cells which can release a high level of NA during acupuncture stimulation.
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Lee BC, Kim KW, Soh KS. Characteristic Features of a Nerve Primo-vessel Suspended in Rabbit Brain Ventricle and Central Canal. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2010; 3:75-80. [DOI: 10.1016/s2005-2901(10)60015-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2009] [Accepted: 03/30/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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Primo-Vessels as New Flow Paths for Intratesticular Injected Dye in Rats. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2010; 3:81-8. [DOI: 10.1016/s2005-2901(10)60016-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2010] [Accepted: 04/14/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Lee BC, Soh KS. Visualization of Acupuncture Meridians in the Hypodermis of Rat Using Trypan Blue. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2010; 3:49-52. [DOI: 10.1016/s2005-2901(10)60008-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2009] [Accepted: 12/03/2009] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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Yi SS, Hwang IK, Kim MS, Soh KS, Yoon YS. The Origin of Endothelial Cells in Novel Structures, Bonghan Ducts and Bonghan Corpuscles Determined Using Immunofluorescence. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2009; 2:190-6. [DOI: 10.1016/s2005-2901(09)60054-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2009] [Revised: 07/13/2009] [Accepted: 07/14/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Comparison of the Characteristic Features of Bonghan Ducts, Blood and Lymphatic Capillaries. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2009; 2:107-17. [DOI: 10.1016/s2005-2901(09)60042-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2009] [Accepted: 03/31/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Soh KS. Bonghan Circulatory System as an Extension of Acupuncture Meridians. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2009; 2:93-106. [PMID: 20633480 DOI: 10.1016/s2005-2901(09)60041-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2009] [Accepted: 04/08/2009] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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Ogay V, Min F, Kim K, Kim J, Bae KH, Han SC, Soh KS. Observation of Coiled Blood Plexus in Rat Skin with Diffusive Light Illumination. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2009; 2:56-65. [PMID: 20633475 DOI: 10.1016/s2005-2901(09)60016-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2008] [Accepted: 01/12/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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Lee BC, Kim KW, Soh KS. Visualizing the Network of Bonghan Ducts in the Omentum and Peritoneum by Using Trypan Blue. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2009; 2:66-70. [DOI: 10.1016/s2005-2901(09)60017-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2008] [Accepted: 01/14/2009] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
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Lee BC, Bae KH, Jhon GJ, Soh KS. Bonghan System as Mesenchymal Stem Cell Niches and Pathways of Macrophages in Adipose Tissues. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2009; 2:79-82. [DOI: 10.1016/s2005-2901(09)60020-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2008] [Accepted: 01/14/2009] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
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Sung B, Kim MS, Corrigan A, Donald AM, Soh KS. In situ microextraction method to determine the viscosity of biofluid in threadlike structures on the surfaces of mammalian organs. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2009; 79:022901. [PMID: 19391791 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.79.022901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We report a method to measure the viscosity of microL volumes of biofluid obtained from threadlike structures (NTSs) on the surfaces of mammalian (rabbit) internal organs. The fluid was mechanically microextracted in situ from NTSs on the organ surfaces by a glass capillary connected to an extractor. From the Brownian motion of the 0.8+/-0.1microm diameter granules in the extracted fluid, the fluid viscosity was determined to be 1.4+/-0.1mPa s at room temperature. This viscosity is comparable to the viscosity of rabbit blood plasma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baeckkyoung Sung
- Biomedical Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, Korea
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Proteomic Analysis for Tissues and Liquid from Bonghan Ducts on Rabbit Intestinal Surfaces. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2008; 1:97-109. [DOI: 10.1016/s2005-2901(09)60029-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2008] [Accepted: 11/04/2008] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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Lee BC, Ogay V, Kim KW, Lee Y, Lee JK, Soh KS. Acupuncture Muscle Channel in the Subcutaneous Layer of Rat Skin. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2008; 1:13-9. [DOI: 10.1016/s2005-2901(09)60002-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2008] [Accepted: 06/02/2008] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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Novel Anatomic Structures in the Brain and Spinal Cord of Rabbit That May Belong to the Bonghan System of Potential Acupuncture Meridians. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2008; 1:29-35. [DOI: 10.1016/s2005-2901(09)60004-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2007] [Accepted: 04/14/2008] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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