Immunohistochemical and Electron Microscopic Study of the Meridian-like System on the Surface of Internal Organs of Rats

Hong, Su Young; Yoo, Jung Sun; Hong, Ju Young; Lee, Byung-Cheon; Soh, Kwang–Sup; Lee, Sang‐Hee; Kim, Youn-Joong; Kang, Dae-In; Ahn, Byung Soo; Wo, Hee-Jong

doi:10.3727/036012907815844048

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Abundant immune cells exist in the OS-PVS and the lymph PVS, which indicates that the PVS is one of the important parts in the immune system [17] . The presence of small embryonic-like stem cells in the PVS [18,19] and hematopoietic stem cells [20] seem to support the original claim by BH Kim about the hematopoietic function of the PVS [21] . So far, the most important connections with diseases have been the findings that the PVS might be deeply related to cancer biology, in general, and to the metastasis of cancer, in particular.…”

Section: Reviewsupporting

confidence: 65%

A Transformative Approach to Cancer Metastasis: Primo Vascular System as a Novel Microenvironment for Cancer Stem Cells

Yoo

Soh

2014

Cancer Cell Microenviron

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Metastasis is the principal cause of death among cancer patients. Despite intensive research with the application of genetic and molecular biology, its prevention and management remain far from satisfactory. More innovative approaches are needed. The major routes for tumor dissemination are the two circulatory systems, lymphatic vessels and blood vessels, so the metastases occurring through them are referred to as lymphatic and hematogenous metastases, respectively. Surprisingly, a new circulatory system, named the primo vascular system (PVS), which is composed of very thin primo vessels (PVs) and primo nodes (PNs), has recently emerged as a third circulatory system. Thus, a natural conjecture would be that the PVS might be associated with carcinogenesis and metastasis, and, indeed, that conjecture has been supported by strong evidence of metastasis in rodents with xenograft tumors. In fact, a study showed that migration of tumor cells to secondary sites was more efficient in the PVS than in the lymphatic system. In addition, the PVS is also a conduit for a fluid, which, according to proteomic analyses contains remarkably high levels of carbohydrate metabolic derivatives that are usually associated with stem cells, cancer cells and differentiated myeloid cells. Thus, the PVS has the potential to transport growth and communication factors between primary and secondary tumor sites, thereby enhancing the oncogenicity of tumor cells at secondary sites. Furthermore, the study of a tumor-derived PVS in murine xenografts of human histiocytic lymphoma has suggested that the PVS may provide a safe haven for a select population of cancer stem cells. These pieces of evidences for the involvement of the PVS in cancer metastasis is call for more intensive investigations of its possible role as an incubating microenvironment for tumor formation, propagation, sustenance, and relapse.

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Section: Reviewsupporting

confidence: 65%

A Transformative Approach to Cancer Metastasis: Primo Vascular System as a Novel Microenvironment for Cancer Stem Cells

Yoo

Soh

2014

Cancer Cell Microenviron

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“…Among these the Trypan blue spraying technique invented by Dr. BC Lee was most effective for many applications. The team also adopted modern imaging techniques utilizing fluorescent nanoparticles, quantum dots, immune-affinity technique, electron microscopy [56], X-ray microscopy, and GFP expressing cells and animals, which were not available at the time of BH Kim. DAPI staining to check the shape of cell nuclei is one of the important and frequently used new techniques for the PV identification.…”

Section: New Discoveriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

50 Years of Bong-Han Theory and 10 Years of Primo Vascular System

Soh

Kang

Ryu

2013

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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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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“…They used Trypan blue dyeing and other techniques to show that PVs exist not only on the surface of the internal organs, but also in the nerve system, cardiovascular system, lymphatic system, fascia of the abdominal cavity, adipose tissue, generative system (testis), skin and abdominal wall, primo fluid and microcells, egg vitelline membrane, and cancer [27] in rabbits, rats, mice, dogs, and pigs. They have observed the structure of PVs by using modern instruments as electron microscope and laparoscope [28, 29] and analyzed their protein profiles of PVs tissue using proteomic technique [30], claiming that their results will shift the level of the oriental medicine from the traditional wisdom and art with a long history to the biomedical sciences. Recently, Kwon and colleagues [11, 31] observed microscopic nodes and ducts inside lymphatics, as well as on the surface of internal organs in the rat.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Historical Review about Research on “Bonghan System” in China

Liu

Jing

Shi

et al. 2013

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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The meridian-collateral theory is the theoretical basis of acupuncture-moxibustion therapy. Professor Bonghan Kim, a professor of the Pyongyang Medical University of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, claimed that he found the anatomical structure of meridian-collaterals, named Bonghan corpuscles (BHCs) and Bonghan ducts (BHDs) system or primo vascular system (PVS), in 1962. From 1963 to 1965, researchers from our institute conducted a series of comparative anatomical experiments, trying to reproduce the so-called BHC- and BHD-like structures in different strains of animals. In the present paper, the authors introduced their research findings about BHC- and BHD-like structures in the young rabbit's umbilicus including its external appearance, ectoplasm and endoplasm, and about strip-like and node-like objects in the blood vessels and lymph vessels near the larger abdominal and cervical blood vessels and chromaffin tissue in the back wall of the rabbit's abdominal cavity and between the bilateral kidneys. In spite of existence of the BHC- and BHD-like structures in the rabbit, there has been no proved evidence for their association with the meridian-collateral system described in acupuncture medicine. In the present historical review, the authors also make a discussion about the significance of those findings.

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Immunohistochemical and Electron Microscopic Study of the Meridian-like System on the Surface of Internal Organs of Rats

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

A Transformative Approach to Cancer Metastasis: Primo Vascular System as a Novel Microenvironment for Cancer Stem Cells

A Transformative Approach to Cancer Metastasis: Primo Vascular System as a Novel Microenvironment for Cancer Stem Cells

50 Years of Bong-Han Theory and 10 Years of Primo Vascular System

Historical Review about Research on “Bonghan System” in China

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