Some comments to histomorphology of acupuncture points.

The authors discuss and complement thè findings of Zerlauth et al. (1992) using data from 1 Department of Cardiovascularand Respiratory Sciences, University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy. 2 Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy. thè literature and personal experiences. They emphasize that staining by means of haematoxylin- eosin is not sufficient to make ali thè important structures, especially thè nerve fibres and small sensory structures, contained in and around thè acupuncture points (AP) visible. The modulating cells probably play an important role in relation to thè AP and in our case thè Merkel's corpuscles, thè mast cells and thè histiocytes. Especially thè first two, being paraneurones may be of great signifìcance. It is necessary to combine a vanety of methods and techniques to make structural umts visible and carry out investigations on thè morphology of AP. Studies must be undertaken at different levels from thè macrostructures to thè ultrastructures. Methods for making nervous tissue visible are of particular value. Impregnation of nervous tissue with silver nitrate, cholinesterase techniques, various antibodies (for thè study of thè innervation of thè vessels) up to electron microscopy and ultrahistochemistry should be used.