Tissue micro-channels formed by collagen fibers and their internal components: cellular evidence of proposed meridian conduits in vertebrate skin

The debate over the matter essence of the meridian in Chinese Traditional Medicine has some two thousands year history, which impedes the therapy practice of the acupuncture and cupping treatment. Morphological investigation is the first and most direct strategy for uncovering the structural characteristics of meridian conduits. In the present study, a special tissue micro-channel (TMC) network was revealed throughout the skin fascia in different species, which could interpret most meridian phenomena and compatible different mainstream hypotheses of the meridian. Analogous features of the TCs and meridian conduits suggested that TMC and their network is the potential essence of the meridian conduits.