Effect of electroacupuncture at tsusanli on regulation of stress response under etomidate anesthesia in rats / 临床麻醉学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at tusanli (ST36) on regulation of stress response under different doses of etomidate anesthesia in rats.Methods Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 280-310 g, were randomly divided into control group (group C), model group (group M), etomidate 60 mg/kg group (group E1), etomidate 30 mg/kg group (group E2), etomidate 60 mg/kg combined with EA group (group EA1) and etomidate 30 mg/kg combined with EA group (group EA2), n=10 in each group.All groups received inferior caudal trunk transection at the level between sacral spinal nerve 3 and 4 (S3, S4) to prepare acute stress response model except group C.Group M received no others treatment.The rats in group E1, group EA1, group E2 and group EA2 were intraperitoneally injected with 60, 60, 30 and 30 mg/kg etomidate, respectively.Group EA1 and group EA2 received EA ST36.The points were stimulated at a frequency of 2/100 Hz with 1 mA output and a dilatational wave, which lasted for 30 min.ACTH and Cor levels were measured by ELISA.The c-fos protein expression in hypothalamic tissue was examined by Western blot.Results Compared with group C, ACTH and Cor levels, and hypothalamic expression of c-fos protein in group M were significantly increased (P<0.05).Compared with group M, serum ACTH and Cor levels, and hypothalamic expression of c-fos protein in groups E1, E2, EA1 and EA2 were significantly decreased (P<0.05).Compared with group E1, serum ACTH and Cor levels, and hypothalamic expression of c-fos protein were significantly higher in groups E2 and EA1 (P<0.05).Compared with group E2, serum ACTH level and hypothalamic expression of c-fos protein were significantly lower in group EA2 (P<0.05).Conclusion EA at ST36 regulating stress response under etomidate anesthesia in rats is effective and two-way, and the mechanism may be due to the release of neurotransmitters induced c-fos protein in hypothalamus.