OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the sensory and motor innervation of "Taichong" (LR3) and "Ququan" (LR8) in the rat and provide an insight into the neural relationship between the different acupoints in the same meridian. METHODS The LR3 and LR8 were selected as the representative acupoints from the Liver Meridian and examined by using the techniques of regional anatomy and neural tract tracing in this study. For both acupoints, their local nerves were observed with regional anatomy, and their sensory and motor pathways were traced using neural tract tracing with single cholera toxin subunit B (CTB) and dual Alexa Fluor 594/488 conjugates with CTB (AF594/488-CTB). RESULTS Using the regional anatomy, the branches of the deep peroneal nerve and saphenous nerve were separately found under the LR3 and LR8. Using single CTB, the sensory neurons, transganglionic axon terminals, and motor neurons associated with both LR3 and LR8 were demonstrated on the dorsal root ganglia (DRG), spinal dorsal horn, Clarke's nucleus, gracile nucleus, and spinal ventral horn corresponding to their own spinal segments and target regions, respectively. Using dual AF594/488-CTB tracing, it was shown that the sensory and motor neurons associated with LR3 were separated from that of LR8. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that LR3 and LR8 are innervated by different peripheral nerves, which originated from or terminated in their corresponding spinal segments and target regions independently through the sensory and motor pathways. These results provide an example for understanding the differential innervation between the different acupoints in the same meridian.

中文翻译：

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通过区域解剖和神经束追踪比较大鼠穴位 LR3 和 LR8 的感觉和运动神经支配。

目的 本研究旨在研究大鼠“太冲”（LR3）和“曲拳”（LR8）的感觉和运动神经支配，并深入了解同一经络不同穴位之间的神经关系。方法本研究选取肝经的代表穴位LR3、LR8,采用局部解剖学和神经束示踪技术进行研究。对于这两个穴位，通过区域解剖观察其局部神经，并使用单霍乱毒素 B 亚基 (CTB) 和双 Alexa Fluor 594/488 缀合物与 CTB (AF594/488-CTB) 的神经束追踪来追踪其感觉和运动通路。 ）。结果通过局部解剖，在LR3和LR8下分别发现腓深神经和隐神经的分支。使用单个 CTB，在背根神经节 (DRG)、脊髓背角、克拉克核、薄核和脊髓腹角上证明了与 LR3 和 LR8 相关的感觉神经元、跨节轴突末端和运动神经元。分别是脊柱节段和目标区域。使用双 AF594/488-CTB 追踪，结果表明与 LR3 相关的感觉和运动神经元与 LR8 的感觉和运动神经元是分开的。结论本研究表明LR3和LR8受不同的周围神经支配，这些神经通过感觉和运动通路独立地起源于或终止于相应的脊髓节段和目标区域。这些结果为理解同一经络不同穴位之间的神经支配差异提供了范例。