Research progress on the characteristics and essence of meridians and acupoints from an interdisciplinary perspective: A review

Abstract

This study summarizes and discusses the characteristics and essence of meridians and acupoints from the perspectives of physics, chemistry and biology. An extensive body of literature from PubMed and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure was reviewed and categorized into three distinct groups: physical characteristics-related research (75 articles), which examined electrical, thermal, optical, acoustic and magnetic properties, and isotope migration; chemical characteristics-related literature (44 articles), focusing on chemical ions, oxygen partial pressure, nitric oxide and substance P; and biological essence-related research (52 articles), which primarily explored microcirculation, extracellular fluid channels, mast cells, telocytes, connexins, hilum of muscle and bone, and sensory nerve fibers. Current research emphasizes the electrical and thermal properties of the meridians and acupoints, whereas investigations into the essence of meridians are increasingly shifting from macroscopic to microscopic structures. It is essential to fully harness the advantages of interdisciplinary integration, which could significantly advance our understanding and applications in the realm of acupuncture and traditional medicine. Please cite this article as: Cheng YP, Guo Y, Wang C, Wu BQ, Xia Q, Zhang RC, Guo Y. Research progress on the characteristics and essence of meridians and acupoints from an interdisciplinary perspective: A review. J Integr Med . 2025; Epub ahead of print.