@article{feng_ifrim_2004, 
  title={FURTHER STUDY ON THE ANATOMICAL, HISTOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL BASES UNDERLYING CLINICAL ACUPUNCTURE EFFECTIVENESS}, 
  volume={15}, 
  abstractNote={The study was undertaken in order further to elucidate the relationship between structural specificities of acupoints and meridians and their clinical effectiveness. 356 biopsis samples were processed, 287 of which were taken from 48 adult and 2 newborn cadavers and the rest 69, from living patients, at three different levels beneath the acupoints, between meridians and at some distances away. Six types of staining methods were applied to the materials obtained from diversified areas in relation to acupoints and meridians, so as to manifest the distribution of collagen fibers, reticular fibers, mucopolysaccharides (MPS), connective tissues, nerve threads, blood vessels etc. The findings revealed that structural and biochemical specificities associated with acupoints and meridians included (1) amount of mucopolysaccharides, in particular acid MPS, the concentration of collagen fibers and, richness in nerve endings etc. with the intensities being highest around the acupoints, higher at the levels of meridians and low in areas at some distances away from meridians (2) constitution of the adjacent connective tissue and the afferent nerve formations and (3) functional structures constituting an energetic complex system.}, 
  author={Feng and Ifrim}, 
  year={2004}
  }