分類:郭林氣功學術論著

來函轉登-Fw: 中國氣功 – 你見過咁犀利未?

中國氣功原來真是這麽利害。

Subject: FW: 中國氣功

不知道那位對氣功有研究
能見證氣功真有那麽厲害嗎?  …………..   

 ——

中國 VS日本 對決 中國氣功非常精彩

—————————–

http://blog.udn.com/darrenlin123/3148545

台大校長論:身心靈。AND, 偉大的氣功?
2009/07/20 00:42:44 瀏覽482|回應1|推薦2

作者 : 李嗣涔(台大電機系教授兼教務長)

 

  十二年來,我一步步從「身」走向「心」,從「心」走向「靈」,回頭來看,每一步都有深意,缺了其中任一環節,都無法證悟最後深層的真實世界……。
  我與內人合著的新書終於出版了,裡面記錄了我們這十二年來,逐步揭開人體身心靈三個層次現象的歷程與證悟。一九八八年從練氣功的養「身」與保健開始,到一九九二年轉向研究特異功能,發現這是練「心」的功夫,最後一九九九年在小朋友手指識字辨認宗教關鍵字的實驗中,讓我們證實了信息場,也就是俗稱為「靈界」的存在。一路走來,真令人難以置信。

當時只要有人質疑「氣」的研究,便說是國科會支持的
  十二年前,在國科會主委陳履安先生的號召下,一頭栽進了氣功的研究。在當時社會的大環境下,氣功是屬於「怪力亂神」的領域,由國科會來主導「迷信」是一件不太妥當的事情,因此我們參與的研究人員想了一個新名字「生物能場」來取代氣功,結果阻力大為減少。
  我自己加入研究團隊時並沒有接觸過氣功或傳統中醫,也不大相信真有其事,沒想到當我開始研究氣功,並且親身練習氣
功之後,在很短的時間內掌握到訣竅,因而產生了「氣集丹田」及「氣走任脈」之現象,讓我恍然大悟到「氣」是存在每個人體內的一種功能狀態。
  當時陳主委為了避免我們的計畫被不懂的審查者刁難,特別在國科會生物處創立了一個「生物能場」學門,由我擔任召集人。那個時候,凡是有人質疑「氣」的研究,我們就回答說這是國科會支持的,大家可以堵住對方的嘴巴,顯然國科會的招牌是有效的。不過研究的成果卻不被一般學者認同。記得一九九四年經過六年氣功的研究,我已在國內雜誌上發表了幾篇重要有關氣功本質的論文,想去申請「傑出人才獎」,沒想到在校內第一關的評審就過不了,據了解是評審不能接受「氣功」這種現象。從此以後,我就再也不用氣功相關論文去申請任何獎勵,直到現在。

  但是在社會上的反應卻是剛好相反,我在台大電機系任教的身份,比較具有公信力,加上我的實驗結果所顯示的現象,讓人在聽過我的演講後能夠相信氣功不但存在,且分為至少兩種狀態即「共振態」及「入定態」,「共振態」是人體宏觀共振現象,可以藉由快速的思想而激發。「入定態」是較高階段的功能態,可以藉由「放空」或「入靜」而達成。一九九五年台大醫院兩位醫師分別以氣功治病的論文在世界上相關領域最好的學術雜誌上發表,加上練氣功可以健身已普遍為社會大眾所實踐且接受,反對氣功的言論才漸銷聲匿跡。

任何研究此道者,都要面對「作弊」、「變魔術」的指控
  一九九二年有鑑於練氣會產生一些特異現象,中國大陸也發現眾多超感官知覺及念力等特異功能,引發我的好奇心,因此決定轉向特異功能的研究,也引發了新一層巨大的壓力,直到去年為止。特異功能現象如心電感應、透視力、預知未來、念力等均無法由現代的物理學或生理學來解釋。
  即使歐美各國的超心理學界研究這些現象超過一百一十年,但仍不為主流科學界所接受,理由很簡單就是無法用現代科學解釋,承認這些現象無異於承認自己之無知。因此任何一個從事特異功能的研究者都面對「作弊」、「變魔術」的指控。而的確有些高功能人也被抓到過作弊,因此即使他不作弊而做出之結果也不被承認。
  我自己多年來和功能人合作研究非常小心,對特異功能的出現與否及出現的快慢有深入的了解。功能人是人,有情緒有生理上的變化,因此他們不像一個儀器,一插上電就能正常運作。必須運用同理心讓他培養好情緒,不緊張,生理正常才能慢慢進入功能態做出實驗,因此常常陪著他們一等就是幾個小時或幾天才能完成一項成功的實驗。
  樣本的準備也很重要,要功能人熟悉的樣式才能在較短的時間做出。不了解這些特質的科學家,或採敵對態度的實驗者,引起了功能人的反感與情緒,實驗就很難在短時間完成,這更加深了懷疑者的不信,引起很多的論戰。
  我自己在這八年中遭到學術界各方的抨擊,有人投書、有人寫書來修理我、有人私下表達不以為然,認為我做偽科學,助長社會迷信的風氣,對社會有不良影響。不過這些人都是理論派,不做實驗,不了解科學最基本的規範是「先有調查才有發言權」,不了解「實驗才是檢驗真理的唯一標準」。雖造成一些困擾,但我不以為意。事實上也有不少科學家看過我們的數據,能夠支持我們的結論,讓我們頗覺安慰。

宗教裡的靈通經驗竟然是真的
  一九九九年物理學會十多位教授親自參加了我的手指識字實驗,也證實了手指識字確實存在。台大物理系的一位教授以宗教上的神聖字如「佛」、「菩薩」、「耶穌」等字彙來測試,讓小朋友在大腦屏幕上看到了異象;有亮光、亮人出現,亮人還跑來跑去向小朋友打招呼,有笑聲、寺廟、十字架出現,與平常字完全不同。我們由大量數據發現,這個現象證實了宇宙間有「信息場」的存在,神聖字是聯接信息場的鑰匙。這表示宗教裡的靈通經驗竟然是真的,我自己深受震撼,參與的物理學者也深受震撼,原來「舉頭三尺有神明」,真是難以置信。

  十二年來,我一步步從「身」走向「心」,走向「靈」,回頭來看,每一步都有深意,缺了中間的任何一個環節,都無法證悟最後深層的真實世界。檢討起來,其中最大的動力來自人類最原始的好奇心,想要了解未知的世界。
  十二年來我們不懼任何打壓,一路走來,我自己是深度的滿足,希望未來有更多的年輕人加入這個領域,共同來探索這個神祕的信息場世界。

刊載於 2000 年 7月13日《中國時報》「浮世繪」版

中國氣功師隔空擊倒日本武師

http://bornjuly4.blogspot.com/2007/08/blog-post_22.html

==========================

偉大的氣功?

The Wondrous World of Chi Power

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=TW&hl=zh-TW&v=KJr2BdUTYkU&feature=related

===

Demonstration by Dr. Yeung from 1996

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6KxA6H4aUg&NR=1

Derren Brown doing 1 inch pucnh without touching the guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBXXA5xhcQ0&NR=1&feature=fvwp

====

Derren Brown Invisible touch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwvA0rJ6rC0&NR=1

 

中国悟乐大师隔空击倒击倒日本武师

香港大學:郭林氣功治療高血壓的研究報告

[ 3437 ] 郭林氣功健身 (高血壓)班

    本課程由陳秀坤資深郭林氣功師任教,適合高血壓、肥
胖或心臟病患者練習。
    課程主要教授四個功法,包括:高血壓自然行功、高血
壓升降開合、降壓功、穴位按摩功。
  課    程:全期6課,每課2小時
  費    用:全期550元

課程編號   開課日期           上課時間
HT53437    8月7日逢星期六     上午9:30-11:30

報名查詢電話: 2712 9165

引用(0)

網誌標籤:工聯會2010夏季課程3437郭林氣功健身高血壓

香港大學:郭林氣功治療高血壓的研究報告

Original Article

Journal of Human Hypertension (2005) 19, 697–704. doi:10.1038/sj.jhh.1001884; published online 19 May 2005

Randomised controlled trial of qigong in the treatment of mild essential hypertension

B M Y Cheung1,2, J L F Lo3, D Y T Fong4, M Y Chan5, S H T Wong5, V C W Wong6, K S L Lam1,2, C P Lau1,2 and J P E Karlberg7

  1. 1Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong
    , Hong Kong, China
  2. 2Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
  3. 3Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
  4. 4Department of Nursing Studies, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
  5. 5Department of Physiotherapy, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
  6. 6Hong Kong Hospital Authority, Hong Kong, China
  7. 7Clinical Trials Centre, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

Correspondence: Dr BMY Cheung, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China. E-mail: mycheung@hkucc.hku.hk

Received 1 February 2005; Revised 5 April 2005; Accepted 6 April 2005; Published online 19 May 2005.

Topof page

Abstract

Exercise and relaxation decrease blood pressure. Qigong is a traditional Chinese exercise consisting of breathing and gentle movements. We conducted a randomised controlled trial to study the effect of Guolin qigong on blood pressure. In all, 88 patients with mild essential hypertension were recruited from the community and randomised to Goulin qigong or conventional exercise for 16 weeks. The main outcome measurements were blood pressure, health status (SF-36 scores), Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventory scores. In the qigong group, blood pressure decreased significantly from 146.3

plusminus

7.8/93.0

plusminus

4.1 mmHg at baseline to 135.5

plusminus

10.0/87.1

plusminus

7.7 mmHg at week 16. In the exercise group, blood pressure also decreased significantly from 140.9

plusminus

10.9/93.1

plusminus

3.5 mmHg to 129.7

plusminus

11.1/86.0

plusminus

7.0 mmHg. Heart rate, weight, BMI, waist circumference, total cholesterol, renin and 24 h urinary albumin excretion significantly decreased in both groups after 16 weeks. General health, bodily pain, social functioning and depression also improved in both groups. No significant differences between qigong and conventional exercise were found. In conclusion, Guolin qigong and conventional exercise have similar effects on blood pressure in patients with mild hypertension. While no additional benefits were identified, it is nevertheless an alternative to conventional exercise in the nondrug treatment of hypertension.

Keywords: 

exercise, qigong, clinical trials

香港瑪麗醫院:習練郭林氣功提升免疫的研究

香港瑪麗醫院關于習練郭林氣功提升免疫的研究報告

Changes in cytokine production in healthy subjects practicing Guolin Qigong : a pilot study

Brian M Jones 

email

Division of Clinical Immunology, Pathology Department, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong

 author email

 corresponding author email

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2001, 1:8doi:10.1186/1472-6882-1-8

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/1/8

Received: 6 August 2001
Accepted: 18 October 2001
Published: 18 October 2001

© 2001 Jones; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the article's original URL.

Abstract

Background

Guolin Qigong is a combination of meditation, controlled breathing and physical movement designed to control the vital energy (qi) of the body and consequently to improve spiritual, physical and mental health. Practice of Qigong has been reported to alter immunological function, but there have been few studies of its effects on cytokines, the key regulators of immunity.

Methods

Numbers of peripheral blood cytokine-secreting cells were determined by ELISPOT in 19 healthy volunteers aged 27 – 55, before they were taught the practice of Qigong and after 3, 7 and 14 weeks of daily practice. The effect of Qigong on blood cortisol was also examined.

Results

Numbers of IL4 and IL12-secreting cells remained stable. IL6 increased at 7 weeks and TNFα increased in unstimulated cultures at 3 and 7 weeks but decreased at these times in LPS and SAC-stimulated cultures. Of particular interest, IFNγ-secreting cells increased and IL10-secreting cells decreased in PHA-stimulated cultures, resulting in significant increases in the IFNγ:IL10 ratio. Cortisol, a known inhibitor of type 1 cytokine production, was reduced by practicing Qigong.

Conclusion

These preliminary studies in healthy subjects, although not necessarily representative of a randomized healthy population and not including a separate control group, have indicated that blood levels of the stress-related hormone cortisol may be lowered by short-term practice of Qigong and that there are concomitant changes in numbers of cytokine-secreting cells. Further studies of the effect of Qigong in patients with clinical diseases known to be associated with type 2 cytokine predominance are merited.

Background

Qigong is a combination of meditation, physical movements and controlled breathing. These exercises are designed to develop the skill of controlling qi, the vital energy of the body, and consequently to improve spiritual, physical and mental health. Adepts can reportedly use emitted qi to alter the performance of cells: "facilitating qi" increases cell growth while "inhibiting qi" suppresses growth of cultured tumour cells [1].

Guolin Qigong was introduced more than 50 years ago by Madam Guo, a long-term cancer survivor who developed a network of self-help groups throughout China and beyond. This form of Qigong, which is characterized by a slow walking exercise accompanied by arm movements coordinated with slight twisting movements of the waist, is said to be particularly helpful for cancer patients.

Among the organs apparently affected by qigong are brain, heart, kidney and the immune system, with benefits being reported in senility, hypertension, stroke, asthma, blood chemistry and cancer [26]. (See alsohttp://www.goldenflower.org/reflib/articles/tc_as_treatment.shtml webcite).

The reported benefits of Qigong could be mediated by effects on immunological function and various aspects of immune function could perhaps be influenced by qi energy. However, there have been only a few peer-reviewed publications describing alterations in immune system activity as a result of practicing Qigong. Delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity responses were faster, stronger and more numerous in a Qigong trained group than a normal healthy group [7]. Patients with aplastic anaemia treated with Qigong showed significant improvement in CD4+:CD8+ T-cell ratio [8], which also increased in newly recruited Qigong trainees after 5 months of practice [9]. CD4:CD8 T-cell ratios and NK-cell activity tended to increase during a single 40-minute session of Qigong [10]. Various non-reviewed studies have described increased lymphocyte, neutrophil and natural killer (NK) cell functions in subjects practicing Qigong [see Extension of Life: Documentation on the Effects of Chi Kong Qigong (Edited by Zhang RM) Renming Tin Yue Press, China 1995; andhttp://www.goldenflower.org/reflib/articles/tc_as_treatment.shtml] webcite

Cytokines are highly labile effector glycoproteins which are crucially involved in afferent and efferent limbs of immune responses as pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory regulators. Type 1 cytokines, such as interferon-gamma (IFNγ), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin (IL) 12, promote cell-mediated responses, while type 2 cytokines, including IL4, IL6 and IL10, are anti-inflammatory and favour humoral responses [11,12]. Cell-mediated responses are important in protection against cancers, while overproduction of anti-inflammatory cytokines is potentially suppressive for anti-cancer immunity. The present pilot study was designed to investigate effects of Qigong on in vitro cytokine production in healthy volunteers and to determine whether further evaluation of its effects on the cytokine profiles of patients with cancer would be valuable. We measured production of the above 6 cytokines before Qigong training and for up to 14 weeks of performing the exercises. Significant increases in PHA-stimulated IFNγ:IL10 ratios were found, indicating a shift towards cytokines favoring cell-mediated immunity.

Methods

Subjects and evaluations

Nineteen healthy Chinese subjects aged 27 – 55 years (mean 43.9 ± 7.8), of whom 11 were females, were recruited by advertisement for first-time training in Guolin Qigong. One further volunteer was excluded on the grounds of ill-health. Each subject attended six 2-hour Qigong class in a two week period. They then practiced the exercises every day and kept diaries to record details. Ten subjects were still practicing Qigong at the end of the study period (14 weeks from starting training), while 9 ceased practice at 10 weeks. Blood pressure, pulse rate, blood cortisol level and production of IFNγ, IL4, IL6, IL10, IL12 and TNFα were measured before training and after 3, 7 and 14 weeks. One subject was excluded from the main study because of respiratory infection at 3 weeks, but was included in the 14 week comparison of subjects who completed the study with those who stopped, as the infection had cleared at that time.

ELISPOT assay

Numbers of cytokine-secreting cells (CK-SC) in unstimulated cultures or cultures stimulated with T-cell activators phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), Concanavalin A (Con A) or solid-phase anti-CD3, or monocyte activators E. coli lipopolyssacharide (LPS) or S. aureus Cowan I (SAC) were determined using ELISPOT assays [13,14]. Details of our adaptation of this method and its specificity and reproducibility have been reported [1517]. Briefly, heparinized blood was processed for cytokine evaluations within one hour of collection. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) were separated over Lymphoprep (Nycomed, Oslo, Norway) and added to 96-well Multiscreen plates (Millipore, Bedford, MA, USA) which had previously been coated with cytokine capture antibodies (Pharmingen, San Diego, CA, USA) and blocked with 5% fetal calf serum (FCS) in medium RPMI 1640. Duplicate cultures of 104 (for IL6 and TNFα) or 105 (for IFNγ, IL4, IL10 and IL12) cells/well in RPMI + 5% FCS with or without stimulators were incubated for 18–22 hours at 37°C in 5
% CO2. Cells were then washed out and plates incubated sequentially with biotinylated detection anti-cytokine antibodies (Pharmingen), streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase (Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA) and 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolylphosphate-nitroblue tetrazolium (Calbiochem, La Jolla, CA, USA). Blue spots corresponding to each cytokine-SC were counted by microscopy with the aid of eyepiece graticules covering 1/8 or 1/72 of the culture well area. Results are expressed as CK-SC/106 PBM.

Statistical analysis

Prism version 2.0 software (GraphPad, San Diego, CA, USA) was used to compare various parameters before and at 3, 7 and 14 weeks after starting training (paired t-test) and to compare results at 14 weeks for subjects who stopped performing Qigong at 10 weeks with those of subjects who continued beyond 14 weeks (unpaired t-test).

Results

No significant changes in systolic or diastolic blood pressure occurred over the study period, but pulse rate decreased from 76.3 ± 11.4 (mean ± SD) before training to 69.8 ± 9.4 at 3 weeks (p<0.05). However, values at 7 and 14 weeks (71.4 ± 9.5 and 74.3 ± 13.3 respectively) were not significantly different from baseline. Plasma cortisol levels at baseline were 394 ± 115 nmol/l and at 3, 7 and 14 weeks were 328 ± 126 (p < 0.05), 376 ± 109 (not significant) and 318 ± 110 (p < 0.05) respectively.

Numbers of PHA, anti-CD3 and Con A-stimulated IL4-SC (Fig. 1A) and unstimulated and PHA, anti-CD3 and SAC stimulated IL12-SC (Fig.1B) remained stable before and after Qigong training. No IL4 (nor IFNγ)-SC were seen in unstimulated cultures, as observed previously[1517].

thumbnail

Figure 1. Numbers of IL4 (A) and IL12 (B) cytokine-secreting cells (CK-SC) per 106 peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) measured by ELISPOT assay in 19 healthy volunteers before starting Qigong training (P) and after 3, 7 and 14 weeks of practice. There were no significant changes during the study period.

IL6-SC were significantly increased after 7 weeks of exercising in unstimulated, PHA-stimulated and LPS-, but not SAC-, stimulated cultures and returned to baseline levels at week 14 (Fig. 2A). TNFα-SC were significantly increased at 3 and 7 weeks in unstimulated cultures and returned to near baseline at 14 weeks. There was no significant increase in TNFα-SC stimulated by T-cell or monocyte activators and in fact LPS and SAC-stimulated TNFα-SC were significantly reduced at 14 weeks compared to pretraining (Fig. 2B).

thumbnail

Figure 2. Numbers of IL6-SC/106 PBM were increased after 7 weeks of Qigong practice compared with pretraining (A). Numbers of unstimulated TNFα-SC/106 PBM were increased at 3 and 7 weeks, but LPS and SAC-stimulated TNFα-SC/106 PBM were decreased at 14 weeks compared to pretraining (B). (1) p < 0.01, (2) p < 0.05 compared with P, paired t-test.

Reduction in IL6 and TNFα-SC between week 7 and week 14 could have been because approximately half of the subjects stopped exercising at 10 weeks. This was not so for IL6, since cytokine production was similar in those who continued and those who stopped performing Qigong (Fig. 3A). In contrast, stopping Qigong was associated with a significantly lower level of unstimulated and PHA-stimulated TNFα-SC than in those who continued (Fig. 3B).

thumbnail

Figure 3. Numbers of IL6-SC/106 PBM (A) and TNFα-SC/106 PBM (B) at 14 weeks in subjects who continued (C) Qigong practice beyond 14 weeks and those who stopped (S) at 10 weeks. (1) p < 0.05, unpaired t-test.

IFNγ-SC were significantly increased in PHA-stimulated cultures at 3, 7 and 14 weeks. The more powerful IFNγ inducers Con A and anti-CD3 stimulated levels of cytokine production that were less influenced by practicing Qigong, only Con A-induced IFNγ-SC at 3 weeks being significantly higher than before training (Fig. 4A). IL10 production in unstimulated cultures increased significantly after 7 weeks of exercises but fell back to pretraining levels at 14 weeks. PHA, LPS and SAC-induced IL10-SC were similar to pretraining levels at weeks 3 and 7 and lower at week 14, with PHA-induced IL10-SC being significantly lower than before training (Fig. 4B). The ratio of IFNγ:IL10-SC in PHA-stimulated cultures was significantly higher at 3, 7 and 14 weeks than before training (Fig. 4C).

thumbnail

Figure 4. Increased numbers of PHA-induced IFNγ-SC/106 PBM at 3 – 14 weeks of Qigong practice and of Con A-induced IFNγ-SC/106 PBM at 3 weeks compared with pretraining (A). Increased numbers of unstimulated IL10-SC/106 PBM at 7 weeks and decreased numbers of PHA-stimulated IL10-SC/106 PBM at 14 weeks (B). The ratio of PHA-induced IFNγ : IL10 increased with duration of Qigong practice (C). (1)p < 0.01, (2) p < 0.05, (3) p < 0.001 compared with P, paired t-test.

IFNγ-SC, IL10-SC and the ratio of PHA-stimulated IFNγ:IL10-SC at 14 weeks were not significantly different in subjects who stopped performing Qigong exercises at 10 weeks compared with those who continued beyond 14 weeks (Fig. 5).

thumbnail

Figure 5. IFNγ production (A), IL10 production (B) and IFNγ:IL10 ratio (C) at 14 weeks after training in subjects who continued (C) Qigong practice beyond 14 weeks and those who stopped (S) at 10 weeks.

Discussion

Qigong has been practiced for over 3,000 years in China and evidence of its beneficial effects in maintaining and improving health has been presented, though largely in journals inaccessible to the West. Wider application of Qigong could possibly contribute to a healthier population less dependent on modem medicines, the cost of which is spiraling. If it were possible to identify the precise mechanisms by which Qigong achieves these supposed benefits, more focused application of the exercises and of qi energy could possibly result in generally acceptable therapies to supplement current practices.

The present study attempted to determine whether the key regulator molecules of the immune system, cytokines, are influenced by Qigong. I chose to evaluate cytokine production using ELISPOT assays because these measure actual secreted cytokine rather than intracytoplasmic protein (as measured by flow cytometry) or message (by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) and the problem of cytokine neutralization by concomitantly secreted antagonists or soluble receptors, which affects measurement of cytokines in culture supernatants, is avoided.

The ELISPOT assays established in our laboratory are sensitive, specific (no ELISPOTs develop when unmatched pairs of anti-cytokine antibodies are used for capture and detection) and reproducible, with intra-assay coefficients of variation (CV) of 8.8 ± 5.8% for combined data for IFNγ, TNFα, IL4, IL6, IL10 and IL12 and all stimuli [15]. Inter-assay variation is 13.2 ± 4.9%, reflecting considerable individual day-to-day variation, but when groups of subjects are evaluated at different time points, mean values vary by only 5.3 ± 3.8% [15]. This is acceptable for studying effects of interventions in groups of subjects.

All recruited volunteers were normotensive before training and practicing Guolin Qigong for at least 10 weeks did not alter blood pressure greatly. Pulse rates were lower than baseline at 3 weeks but not at 7 or 14 weeks. Interestingly, reduction in cortisol levels was biphasic, with a return to pretraining levels at 7 weeks despite signif
icant reductions at 3 and 14 weeks. There were no significant differences between cortisol levels in those who stopped exercising at 10 weeks and those who continued. It is possible that practicing Qigong improved the stress-coping skills of our volunteers and that this ability was retained even after exercising was discontinued. This possibility requires further study.

Previous studies have shown that in vitro production of IFNγ, IL12 and TNFα is suppressed by cortisol and that these cytokines are negatively correlated with plasma cortisol levels [18]. Administration of cortisone acetate decreases the IFNγ:IL10 ratio by >70% [19]. Improved coping with stress might therefore be expected to lower cortisol and favour type 1 over type 2 cytokine production. Our subjects had significantly increased IFNγ and reduced IL10-SC in PHA-stimulated cultures after practicing Qigong for as little as 3 weeks, with even greater increases at 14 weeks. This effect was still seen at 14 weeks in subjects who stopped exercising at 10 weeks.

However, polarization towards type 1 responses was not found with all in vitro stimuli. Increases in IFNγ production after Qigong training were less apparent when Con A or solid-phase anti-CD3 were used. IL10 production was increased rather than decreased at 7 weeks in unstimulated cultures and there was only a trend towards reduced LPS or SAC-induced IL10 at 14 weeks. Furthermore there were no noticeable effects of Qigong on IL12, the key inducer of IFNγ and type 1 cytokines [20], nor on IL4, the central player in type 2 responses[21].

Unstimulated and stimulated IL6-SC were significantly increased at 7 weeks, suggesting that a transient inflammatory event may have occurred at this time. Cortisol levels had risen from the reduced levels seen at 3 weeks and were to fall again at 14 weeks, which might indicate an increase in stress level of unknown causation at this time. However, DeRijk et al[22] found that physiological increased levels of cortisol induced by strenuous exercise had no effect on LPS-induced IL6, and pharmacologically increased levels were suppressive.

TNFα-SC increased over baseline in unstimulated cultures at 3 and 7 weeks and fell back to normal at 14 weeks in subjects who stopped performing exercises at 10 weeks. There was a similar but not significant trend in PHA-stimulated cultures, whereas in cultures stimulated with monocyte activators TNFα levels were suppressed at 14 weeks even in subjects who stopped exercising at 10 weeks. Unlike IL6, TNFα is sensitive to suppression by physiologically-induced increases in cortisol [22] but our results suggest that if the changes in TNFαseen in this study were due to fluctuating cortisol levels then TNFα induction by T-cell activators and in vivo stimuli may be affected by cortisol in a different way to that induced by monocyte activators.

Conclusions

A balance between type 1 and type 2 cytokines is required for maintenance of health, a preponderance of the former being associated with certain organ-specific autoimmune diseases and of the latter with allergy, systemic autoimmunity and suppressed responses to viruses and cancer [23]. Preliminary evidence from a small, non-randomized, uncontrolled study has been provided here that Guolin Qigong might alter cytokine production in healthy subjects in the direction of type 1 responses. There is no evidence at present to indicate whether this would be beneficial, leading to stronger protection against, for example, cancer and asthma; harmful, leading to later complications such as autoimmune disease; or without effect, due to the relatively minor changes induced. Further studies of the effects of Qigong, and of the various components of Qigong, on clinical, immunological and physiological parameters in various disease situations are, however, clearly merited.

Competing interests

None declared

Acknowledgements

This study was initiated by Dr Vivian Wong, Hospital Chief Executive, Queen Mary Hospital, and was supported by the Li Ka Shing Foundation, Hong Kong. I am grateful to Dr Janette Kwok for translating and summarizing papers in Chinese, Ms Jacqueline Yuen, who organized and performed blood collection from volunteers, Dr Daniel Fong, who helped with statistical analyses, and Drs Jonathan Sham and Peter Lee for useful discussions.

References

  1.  Chien CH, Tsuei JJ, Lee SC, Huang YC, Wei YH: Effect of emitted bioenergy on biochemical functions of cells.

    Am J Chin Med 1991, 19:285-292. PubMed Abstract 

    OpenURL

  2.  Sander KM, Hu B: Medical applications of qigong and emitted qi on humans, animals, cell cultures and plants: review of selected scientific studies.

    Am J Acupunct 1991, 19:367-377. 

    OpenURL

  3.  Sander KM: Medical aspects of qigong.

    Alternative Therapies 1996, 2:40-46. 

    OpenURL

  4.  Wang C, Xu D, Qian Y: Medical and healthcare qigong.

    J Trad Chin Med 1991, 11:296-301. 

    OpenURL

  5.  Reuther I, Aldridge D: Qigong Yangsheng as a complementary therapy in the management of asthma.

    J Altern Complement Med 1998, 4:173-183. PubMed Abstract 

    OpenURL

  6.  Kuang A, Wang C, Xu D, Qian Y: Research on "anti-aging" effect of qigong.

    J Trad Chin Med 1991, 11:224-227. 

    OpenURL

  7.  Ryu H, Mo HY, Mo GD, Choi BM, Jun CD, Seo CM, Kim HM, Chung HT: Delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions in Qigong (chun do sun bup) trainees by multitest cell mediated immunity.

    Am J Chin Med 1995, 23:139-144. PubMed Abstract 

    OpenURL

  8.  Yao BS: A preliminary study on the changes of T-cell subsets in patients with aplastic anaemia treated with qigong.

    Chung His I Chieh Ho Tsa Chih 1989, 9:341-342. 

    OpenURL

  9.  Ryu H, Jun CD, Lee BS, Choi BM, Kim HM, Chung HT: Effect of qigong training on proportions of T-lymphocyte subsets in human peripheral blood.

    Am J Chin Med 1995, 23:27-36. PubMed Abstract 

    OpenURL

  10.  Higuchi Y, Kotani Y, Hibuchi H, Minegishi Y, Itami J, Uh T, Manda Y: Endocrine and immune changes during Guolin New Qigong.

    J Intl Soc Life Info Science, 1997, 15:138. 

    OpenURL

  11.  Mosmann TR, Cherwinski H, Bond MW, Giedlin MA, Coffman RL: Two types of murine helper T cell clones. I. Definition according to profiles of lymphokine activities and secreted proteins.

    J Immun
    ol
     1986, 136:2348-2357. PubMed Abstract 

    OpenURL

  12.  Romagnani S: Lymphokine production by human T-cells in disease states.

    Ann Rev Immunol 1994, 12:227-257. Publisher Full Text 

    OpenURL

  13.  Czerkinsky C, Nilsson LA, Nygren H, Ouchterlony O, Tarkowsky A: A solid-phase enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay for enumeration of specific antibody-secreting cells.

    J Immunol Methods 1983, 65:109-121. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text 

    OpenURL

  14.  Sedgwick JD, Holt PG: A solid-phase immunoenzymatic technique for the enumeration of specific antibody-secreting cells.

    J Immunol Methods 1983, 65:301-309. Publisher Full Text 

    OpenURL

  15.  Jones BM, Kwok CCH, Kung AWC: Effect of radioactive iodine therapy on cytokine production in Graves' disease. Transient increases in interleukin-4, IL6, IL10 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha, with longer-term increases in interferon-gamma production.

    J Clin Endocrinol Metabol 1999, 84:4106-4110. 

    OpenURL

  16.  Jones BM, Liu TF, Wong RWS: Reduced in vitro production of interferon-gamma, interleukin-4 and interleukin-12 and increased production of interleukin-6, interleukin-10 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha in systemic lupus erythematosus. Weak correlations of cytokine production with disease activity.

    Autoimmunity 2000, 31:117-124. 

    OpenURL

  17.  Jones BM, Kwok JSY, Kung AWC: Changes in cytokine production during pregnancy in patients with Graves' disease.

    Thyroid 2000, 10:701-707. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text 

    OpenURL

  18.  Petrovsky N, McNair P, Harrison LC: Diurnal rhythms of pro-inflammatory cytokines: regulation by plasma cortisol and therapeutic implications.

    Cytokine 1998, 10:307-312. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text 

    OpenURL

  19.  Petrovsky N, Harrison LC: Diurnal rhythmicity of human cytokine production: a dynamic disequilibrium in T-helper
    type 1/T-helper type 2 balance?

    J Immunol 1997, 158:5163-5168. PubMed Abstract 

    OpenURL

  20.  Trinchieri G: Interleukin-12: a proinflammatory cytokine with immunoregulatory functions that bridge innate resistance and antigen-specific adaptive immunity.

    Ann Rev Immunol 1995, 13:251-276. Publisher Full Text 

    OpenURL

  21.  Seder RA, Paul WE: Acquisition of lymphokine-producing phenotype by CD4+ cells.

    Ann Rev Immunol 1994, 12:635-673. Publisher Full Text 

    OpenURL

  22.  DeRijk R, Michelson D, Karp B, Petrides J, Galliven E, Deuster P, Paciotti G, Gold PW, Sternberg EM: Exercise and Circadian rhythm-induced variation in plasma cortisol regulate interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-ex (TNFα) production in humans: high sensitivity of TNFα and resistance of IL-6.

    J Clin Endocrinol Metabol 1997, 82:2182-2191. 

    OpenURL

  23.  Romagnani S: The Th1/Th2 paradigm.

    Immunol Today 1997, 18:263-266. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text 

    OpenURL

Pre-publication history

The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/1/8/prepub

附注:精神免疫學的重要角色—細胞激素(cytokine)

    蔡尚穎  台北醫學大學精神科
何謂細胞激素?

  這種結構式接近於何爾蒙的物質,其作用型態也頗類似何爾蒙。簡單說就是白血球間用來活化彼此的多胜肽類(polypeptide),在白血球的表面上有特殊細胞激素的受體(receptor),此受體乃用以與鄰近白血球或由血流傳遞來的細胞激素相互結合,兩者一旦結合此白血球會產生一系列的免疫反應,而開始一系列的免疫調節機制以及發炎反應。以目前主要發現與精神狀態有關者乃介白質素-2 (interleukin-2, IL-2)為例,IL-2是T-淋巴細胞於受到外界刺激時產生的細胞激素,此物質可活化其他免疫細胞如:mast cell, plasma cell等,再促成後續的免疫反應,並能再活化T淋巴細胞本身;位於該淋巴細胞表面的介白質素受體(interleukin-2 receptor,IL-2R)藉由內胞飲(endocytosis)再由細胞質中製造更多的IL-2R於T淋巴細胞表面,以便能接受更多的IL-2,因此T淋巴細胞因免疫反應被激化產生於細胞膜上的大量IL-2R會掉落(shedding)至血液中,成為soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R),故血清中sIL-2R濃度昇高則表示T細胞免疫機能亢進,其他的免疫細胞亦會與其相關的細胞激素形成上述的類似機轉。由於部份細胞激素可以經由血液循環達到腦部,甚至腦組織中的神經膠質細胞(Glia cell)與星狀細胞(Astrocyte)也多具有白血球的此項功能,因此細胞激素目前在神經科學的研究,也多已經證實細胞激素、神經元、內分泌彼此的均息息相關。其與精神疾病的關係自1992年Smith針對精神分裂提出巨嗜
胞與T淋巴細胞理論(marcophage-T-lymphocyte theory) 之後,才逐漸受到重視。