Molecule that could explain acupuncture

A BIOLOGICAL molecule has been discovered by scientists which could help explain how acupuncture works.

The chemical, adenosine, is a natural compound known for pain-killing and anti-inflammatory properties. It also influences the heart and plays a role in regulating sleep.

Researchers have discovered that adenosine is very active in tissues affected by acupuncture, the ancient Chinese treatment that involves inserting needles into sensitive points of the body.

Maiken Nedergaard, from the University of Rochester Medical Centre in New York state, said: "Acupuncture has been a mainstay of medical treatment in certain parts of the world for 4,000 years, but because it has not been understood completely, many people have been sceptical. In this work, we provide information about one physical mechanism through which acupuncture reduces pain in the body."

The scientists went on to investigate the effects of a cancer drug called deoxycoformycin which makes it harder for tissues to remove adenosine.

The drug dramatically increased the effects of acupuncture, more than tripling the duration of pain relief. It also nearly tripled the accumulation of adenosine in treated muscles.

Acupuncture is traditionally thought to affect invisible energy channels in the body known as meridians.

Josephine Briggs, director of the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the US National Institutes of Health, said: "It's clear acupuncture may activate a number of different mechanisms."

The findings are reported in Nature Neuroscience journal.