Studies on Location of Acupoints with X-ray Fluorescence Analysis Based on Synchrotron Radiation

Acupuncture and moxibustion are commonly accepted treatments in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). One of the important issues of interest is determining the accurate location of acupoints in acupuncture. Modern high-technology methods were utilized to verify the accuracy of acupoint positions in TCM, reducing the uncertainty of manually locating the positions. The acupoint location was established according to the richness of trace elements (TEs). The relative content of TEs was perceived by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. The distribution of TEs was determined after the dates were calibrated and the processes were optimized. The relative content of TEs was significantly different in acupoint and non-acupoint areas. There was an uneven distribution of calcium, iron, copper, and zinc in the sample. The relative content of these elements was increased in the acupuncture areas, and the standard deviation was also relatively large, especially for calcium, showing obvious enrichment. According to the enriched area of the TEs, the distance was about 6 mm between the conception channel and the kidney meridian, and the distance to the stomach meridian was about 23 mm for the rabbit sample. The position of the acupoints and spacing of meridians, which were determined according to the enrichment of TEs, were consistent with the TCM theory. The results show that synchrotron radiation-based XRF is a suitable method for determining the location of acupoints.