Application of acupuncture on the study of bone metabolism

 

Atsushi Takeda*, Kaori Tano*, Shigeru Urata*, Hiroyuki Nakazawa*,

Xiaoming Wang*, Torao Ishida*,**, Fumio Nasu*

Department of Acupuncture Medicine, School of Oriental Medicine, Suzuka University of Medical Science*

Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Suzuka University of Medical Science**

 

  We investigated the effect of acupuncture on bone metabolism of the senescence-accelerated mouse (SAMP6) as model of senile osteoporosis and ovariectomized (OVX) rats as model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. SAMP6 mice at the age of 9 weeks were subjected to acupuncture at the acupoins of hind legs. Female rats (9 weeks old) were ovariectomized, then they were subjected to acupuncture at the acupoints of back from 11 weeks old. The bone mineral density of SAMP6 mice and OVX rats significantly increased after acupuncture stimulation for more than 2 months. The results showed that acupuncture could influences on the bone metabolism, suggesting therapeutic possibility of acupuncture on osteoporosis.