Development of a novel therapeutic system for heart failure using acupuncture stimulation

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25350909
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied health science
• Research Institution: Kinki University
• Principal Investigator: YAMAMOTO Hiromi 近畿大学, 医学部, 講師 (10528582)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KAWADA Toru 国立研究開発法人国立循環器病研究センター, 循環動態制御部, 室長 (30243752) ; MIYAMOTO Tadayoshi 森ノ宮医療大学, 保健医療学部, 教授 (40294136)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 耳介鍼刺激 / 心臓交感神経活動 / 降圧作用 / 心拍数 / カルシウム受容体 / β受容体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the stimulation point that decreased cardiac sympathetic nerve activity consistently in order to introduce acupuncture stimulation therapy as a novel system for controlling heart failure. As a result, acupuncture stimulation to the auricle always suppressed not only renal sympathetic nerve activity but also cardiac sympathetic nerve activity.
As a comparison to the effect of auricular acupuncture stimulation, we investigated the effects of calcium channel blockers or beta blockers on blood pressure and sympathetic nerve activity. As a result, we showed that these agents did not decrease sympathetic nerve activity.
In summary, it was suggested that the auricular acupuncture stimulation was promising as a novel system for controlling heart failure.

Free Research Field

循環器内科学