According to the operative characteristics, the stimulated site and the curative effect-emerged site of bloodletting therapy, its clinical characteristics may be divided into three categories: a) local stimulation induced focus-local effect, b) local stimulation induced effect of the distal target organ (point-to-point distal effect), and c) special point stimulation induced broader effect of the whole body. Accordingly, the underlying mechanisms of clinical outcomes mainly involve the improvement of the local microcirculation and secondary changes of inflammatory substances for the first category (local focus). The point-to-point distal effect might mainly involve the innervation of nerve segments, while the broad effect of specific acupoint stimulation might involve multiple levels of the neuro-endocrine-immune system. The future research on the mechanisms of bloodletting should starts from its specific effects and the type of disease, which should not be generalized.
根据刺血疗法操作特点、作用部位和效应部位，将刺血疗法的临床效应特征分为局部点效应特征、远部点对点效应特征和特殊点对面效应特征3类。刺血疗法的局部点效应机制研究以局部微循环为主，炎性物质变化、症状的改善均为继发性变化；远隔部位的点对点效应可从经络脏腑相关的神经节段学说进行研究；特殊点对面效应涉及神经-内分泌-免疫多重机制。对于刺血疗法机制的研究，当从具体的刺血方法、疾病、效应特征入手，不应一概而论。.
Keywords: Bloodletting therapy; Clinical effect characteristics; Mechanisms; Research thoughts.