以往工作表明，内脏慢性病变时可通过神经源性反应导致体表相关部位、特别是一些穴位发生敏化而“激活”，这些病理改变也可能引起交感轴突末梢芽生呈“篮状终末”包裹背根节感觉神经元，形成交感-感觉偶联，导致交感神经活动增强。这种激活很可能启动了机体的自我调节与修复功能。然而内脏病变、交感激活、穴位敏化三者之间的具体联系途径及针刺敏化穴位的调节机制尚无系统研究。本研究分别在心肌缺血和胃溃疡的动物模型及患者，采用形态学、电生理学、药理学和影像学方法观察靶器官功能和交感神经活动，量化穴位敏化反应，探讨针刺敏化穴位对相应靶器官活动的影响；采用神经示踪方法观察动物相应背根节神经元交感-感觉偶联的机制；观察阻断交感不同通路对针刺效应的影响。旨在探讨内脏病变、穴位敏化、交感兴奋三者通过感觉-交感偶联相互作用的途径及机制，不同神经节段支配的内脏病变时敏化穴位的分布规律，以及如何选择穴位对靶器官发挥良性调节作用。

According to previous reports, chronic visceral lesions induce sensitization and activation at corresponding body parts, especially acupoints, through neurogenic responses. These pathological changes may produce sprouting of sympathetic axon endings as “terminal baskets” surrounding sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglion, causing increased sympathetic efferent activity via sympathetic-sensory coupling. This sympathetic excitation is likely to start self-regulation and repairing of the body. Whereas systematic work on the neuronal pathways among visceral lesion, sympathetic activation and acupoint sensitization, and on the regulation of sensitized acupoint stimulation have rarely been found. In the present study, we will observe in myocardial ischemia and gastrohelcosis model rats as well as patients, using morphological, electrophysiological, pharmacological and imageological techniques, to observe target organ functions and sympathetic activities, quantification of acupoint sensitization, and the regulation of acupuncture on target organs; to investigate the sensory-sympathetic coupling in dorsal root ganglion by retrograded neuronal tracing; and to see the effect of acupuncture after blockade of different levels of sympathetic pathway. Our objectives are to clarify the connective pathways and interactions among visceral lesions, acupoint sensitization and sympathetic excitation, and the rule of sensitized acupoints distribution under visceral pathological conditions with different segmental innervations, and how to select acupoints for positive regulation of target organs.