Table 1.
Major mediators involved in the modulation of “Acupoint Network”.
| Mediators | Cells releasing neuroactive mediators | Receptors on afferent fiber terminals | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5-Hydroxytryptamine | Platelets, mast cells | 5-HT3 receptor | [10] |
| 5-HT1 receptor | |||
| adenosine | Mast cells | A1 receptor | [8] |
| histamine | Mast cells | H3 receptor | [11] |
| H1 receptor | |||
| substance P | Keratinocytes, platelets, | - | [12] |
| mast cells, fibroblasts, and macrophages |
|||
| dopamine | DA2R | [9] | |
| Calcitonin | Macrophages, | - | [31] |
| gene-related peptide (CGRP) | T cells, epithelial cells | ||
| Glutamate | Skin epithelial cells and macrophage | - | [36] |
| ATP/cGMP | Epidermal cells, Mast cells | P2X, P2Y receptor | [20] |
| IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α | - | [37] | |
| Glucocorticoids (GC) | tissues | glucocorticoid receptor (GR) | [36, 38] |
| Growth hormone (GH) | Eosinophils of anterior pituitary |
GH receptor | [36, 38] |
| Noradrenaline (NA) | sympathetic nerve varicosities | α2 Receptors | [27] |
| Nitric Oxide (NO) | tissues | - | [28] |
| Bradykinin | tissues | B1/2 receptors | [39] |
| Somatostatin (SS) | Merkel cells, keratinocytes | SS receptors | [40] |
| γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) | Macrophages and lymphocytes | GABAA receptors | [41] |
| β-endorphin | Keratinocytes, melanocytes, dermal fibroblasts, leukocytes | μ-opiate receptors | [29, 30] |
| CRH | hypothalamus | CRH receptor | [42, 43] |
| ERK1/2 | fibroblast and keratinocyte | - | [33] |