Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies
Volume 2, Issue 1 , Pages 79-82, March 2009

Bonghan System as Mesenchymal Stem Cell Niches and Pathways of Macrophages in Adipose Tissues

  • Byung-Cheon Lee

      Affiliations

    • Biomedical Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
    • Research Division, Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute, Seoul, Korea
    • ,
  • Kyung-Hee Bae

      Affiliations

    • Department of Physical Education, University of Incheon, Incheon, Korea
    • ,
  • Gil-Ja Jhon

      Affiliations

    • Department of Chemistry, Ewha Woman's University, Seoul, Korea
    • ,
  • Kwang-Sup Soh

      Affiliations

    • Biomedical Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Biomedical Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

Received 31 December 2008; accepted 14 January 2009.

Abstract 

A new technique for visualizing Bonghan ducts (BHDs) and Bonghan corpuscles (BHCs) was developed by using a vivi-staining dye, Trypan blue. The dye stains BHDs and BHCs preferentially to adipocytes so that tracking a BHD and a BHC, even inside adipose tissues, is possible. Concerning the functions of the BHD and the BHC in adipose tissues, we propose conjectures: the Bonghan system may be niches for mesenchymal stem cells, which can differentiate into adipocytes, and pathways for macrophages involved in adipogenesis.

Key Words:  acupuncture , adipose tissue , Bonghan corpuscle , Bonghan duct , macrophage , mesenchymal stem cell , obesity

 

PII: S2005-2901(09)60020-0

doi:10.1016/S2005-2901(09)60020-0

Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies
Volume 2, Issue 1 , Pages 79-82, March 2009

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