Medical Research

Violet Laser Acupuncture and HRV:Litscher Group

Kristen Sparrow • June 02, 2012

A study from the Litscher group looking at violet laser acupuncture at GV20,ear acupuncture at the “heart” point and Susanli, stomach 36.  The only effect they noticed was some increase in HRV after stim at GV20, but notably no change in LFR/HFR. HR and BP were unchanged and the other points did not incur any changes.
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Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:402590. Epub 2012 Apr 18.
Sino-European transcontinental basic and clinical high-tech acupuncture studies-part 3: violet laser stimulation in anesthetized rats.
Gao XY, Litscher G, Liu K, Zhu B
Stronach Research Unit for Complementary and Integrative Laser Medicine, Research Unit of Biomedical Engineering in Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, TCM Research Center Graz, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz, Austria.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of violet laser stimulation on three acupuncture points in anesthetized rats and to test the hypothesis that violet laser light can modulate neurovegetative parameters like heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). Recordings were performed in 10 male anesthetized rats under three conditions in Beijing, and monitored with equipment from Graz, where also data analysis was performed. For stimulation a violet laser (emitted wavelength 405 nm, laser output 1 mW, continuous mode) was used. The electrocardiograms were recorded by an HRV Medilog AR12 system during laser acupuncture stimulation of the head, ear, and body (Baihui, “heart” ear acupoint, Zusanli). HR changed significantly only during (P = 0.013) and after (P = 0.038) stimulation at Baihui. Total HRV and the low frequency/high frequency ratio showed insignificant changes.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22570672
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3337607/?tool=pubmed
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:402590. Epub 2012 Apr 18.
Sino-European transcontinental basic and clinical high-tech acupuncture studies-part 3: violet laser stimulation in
anesthetized rats.
Gao XY, Litscher G, Liu K, Zhu B.
Source
Stronach Research Unit for Complementary and Integrative Laser Medicine, Research Unit of Biomedical Engineering in
Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, TCM Research Center Graz, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036
Graz, Austria.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of violet laser stimulation on three acupuncture points in anesthetized
rats and to test the hypothesis that violet laser light can modulate neurovegetative parameters like heart rate (HR),
heart rate variability (HRV), and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). Recordings were performed in 10 male anesthetized
rats under three conditions in Beijing, and monitored with equipment from Graz, where also data analysis was performed.
For stimulation a violet laser (emitted wavelength 405 nm, laser output 1 mW, continuous mode) was used. The
electrocardiograms were recorded by an HRV Medilog AR12 system during laser acupuncture stimulation of the head, ear, and
body (Baihui, “heart” ear acupoint, Zusanli). HR changed significantly only during (P = 0.013) and after (P = 0.038)
stimulation at Baihui. Total HRV and the low frequency/high frequency ratio showed insignificant changes. There was an
insignificant decrease in MAP after stimulation of Baihui acupoint. Violet laser stimulation offers a method to induce
acute effects in HR and HRV in rats. Although the precise mechanism of this effect remains to be determined, alterations
are significant. Violet laser stimulation on the Baihui acupoint could readily be translated to clinical studies.