Abstract: Based on the concluding statement of the preceding paper, i.e., the traditional acupuncture meridians ought to be zones in loose connective tissue containing richer intercellular fluid, along with the well established physiological facts, it is argued in the present paper that the meridians ought to be passages with lower resistance for diffusion of the meridian-signal carriers, that the meridian-signal carriers ought to be histamine, and that the meridian biological signal amplifier must be mast cells. Furthermore, according to these, a hypothesis for the function of the meridians is proposed, which suggests that, in addition to the loose connective tissue network, the circulation and nervous systems are also involved and functioning coordinately. Finally, according to the hypothesis, it is shown how the loose connective tissue network can exhibit the meridian functions described in the traditional Chinese medicine, including its functions in normal physiological conditions, its responses in pathological situations, and the along-meridian transmission of senses and effects of acupuncture, as well as the possible mechanisms of peripheral acupuncture in curing internal organ diseases, etc.

Key words: essence of acupuncture meridian, low-resistance meridian, loose connective tissue, interstitial fluid (tissue fluid), mast cell, histamine, biological signal amplifier

摘要： 在《低阻经络研究Ⅲ》“经络是疏松结缔组织里间液较丰富的带区”推断的基础上，根据已确立的生理学事实，进一步推测：经络是经络信息载体物质扩散的低阻通道；经络信息载体物质是组胺；以及经络生物信息放大器是肥大细胞。在此基础上，又提出关于经络功能的“疏松结缔组织-血管-神经机能一体化”假说。最后说明，疏松结缔组织网络如何具有中国医学所注意到的经络系统的各种机能，包括在正常生理条件下的功能，在病理条件下的效应，针灸引起的感觉和反应沿经络的传递，以及用针灸体表经络来治疗有关内脏的疾患，等等。

关键词: 经络实质, 低阻经络, 疏松结缔组织, 间液（组织液）, 肥大细胞, 组胺, 生物信息放大器