[Exterior-interior correlation of "heart" and body surface based on researches of classic literature and modern animal experiments].

Exterior-interior relationship of meridians and zangfu organs is an important component of the theory of acupuncturology in Chinese medicine. According to the descriptions in classic works of Chinese medicine and findings of modern experimental researches, in the present paper, the authors analyzed the close association between the "Heart" and "Small Intestine", exterior-interior correlation between the Heart Meridian and Small Intestine Meridian, and between the "Heart" and body surface (acupoints), limbs, five sensory organs, etc. In addition, the authors also summarized the underlying mechanisms of the above-mentioned exterior-interior relationship of the "Heart" and put forward some proposals for the future researches.