Patch Clamp: A Powerful Technique for Studying the Mechanism of Acupuncture

Abstract

Cellular and molecular events can be investigated using electrophysiological techniques. In particular, the patch-clamp method provides detailed information. In addition, the patch-clamp technique has become a powerful method for investigating the mechanisms underlying the effects of acupuncture. In this paper, recent researches on how acupuncture might modulate electrophysiological responses in the central nervous system (CNS) and affect peripheral structures are reviewed.

Acupuncture ameliorates neurological function in rats with cerebral ischemia‐reperfusion by regulating the opening of large‐conductance Ca2+‐activated potassium channels

“…Patch-clamp technique is a well-developed cellular electrophysiological method. Using patch-clamp technology, the electrical changes of cell membrane ion channels can be observed to elucidate the cellular electrophysiological mechanisms of acupuncture (Zhang, 2012).…”