[Effect of electroacupuncture of "Hegu" (LI4) and "Zusanli" (ST36) on intestinal sensitivity and motility in irritable bowel syndrome rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of "Hegu"(LI4) and "Zusanli"(ST36)on changes of intestinal sensitivity and colonic motility and expression of colonic 5-hydroxytryptamine 3A receptor (5-HT3AR) in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) rats, so as to reveal its mechanism underlying improvement of IBS. METHODS: A total of 40 neonatal Wistar rats were randomly and equally divided into normal control, model, LI4 and ST36 groups (n＝10). The IBS model was induced by mother-infant separation, acetic acid enema and colorectal distension (CRD). EA (2 Hz/100 Hz, a tolerable strength) was applied to bilateral LI4 and ST36 for 20 min, once every other day for 5 times. The Bristol stool form scale was used to assess the gastrointestinal function, and the latency and number of abdominal muscular contraction waves of abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) were used to evaluate the intestinal sensitivity and motility respectively. The immunoactivity of 5-HT3AR of the colon tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: After modeling, the score of Bristol fecal form scale, number of muscular contraction waves and expression levels of colonic 5-HT3AR in the myometrium and mucosal layers were significantly increased (P<0.01), and the latency of muscular initial contraction wave was obviously shortened in the model group relevant to the normal control group (P<0.01). After the intervention, the increased Bristol fecal form score, number of muscular contraction waves and expression levels of 5-HT3AR in the myometrium and mucosal layers as well as the decreased latency of muscular contraction were reversed in both LI4 and ST36 groups (P<0.01, P<0.05). The effect of EA of ST36 was significantly superior to those of EA-LI4 in lowering Bristol fecal scale score and 5-HT3AR expression in the muscular layer (P<0.01), but obviously inferior to those of EA-LI4 in increasing the latency of of muscular initial contraction wave and down-regulating muscular contraction waves and 5-HT3AR expression in the mucosal layer (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Both EA-LI4 and EA-ST36 can significantly improve the symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhea, but EA-LI4 is better in suppressing intestinal high sensitivity, and EA-ST36 is better in promoting intestinal motility, suggesting a specificity of effect of acupoints of different meridians.

Effect of Electroacupuncture at Different Acupoints on the Expression of NMDA Receptors in ACC and Colon in IBS Rats.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at different acupoints on the expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA receptor ) and behaviors in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) rats. METHODS: Wistar rats were randomly divided into blank control group (blank group, n=10) and model preparation group (n=50); experimental rat model of IBS was established by the "neonatal maternal separation and acetic acid enema" combined with "colorectal distension stimulation" method. A total of 50 IBS rats were randomly assigned to five groups of 10 each: model group, Yintang (GV29) group, Neiguan (PC6) group, Tianshu (ST25) group, and Zusanli (ST36) group. Rats in four treatment groups, aged 9 weeks old, were treated with EA by HANS with a sparse-dense wave with a frequency of 2/100 Hz, current of 0.1-0.3mA, and 20 min/stimulation, every other day for a total of 5 sessions. After treatment, the abdominal visceral sensitivity was evaluated by abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR), and the psychological and emotional behavior of rats were evaluated by the open-field test (OFT). The expression of NMDA receptors in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was detected by Quantitative Real-time PCR, and the positive expression of NMDA receptors in colon was detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The IBS rat's abdomen is more sensitive and irritable; NR1, NR2A, and NR2B in ACC and NR1 and NR2B in colon of rats significantly increased in the model group versus the normal group (P<0.01) and were inhibited in all treatment groups (P<0.01, P<0.05). Additionally, NR2A and NR2B in ACC reduced more in GV29 group (P<0.01) than in other treatment groups (P all<0.05) compared with the model group. The expression of NR2B in colon was significantly inhibited in ST36 group (P<0.01) and inhibited in GV29 group and ST25 group (P all <0.05) compared with the model group. And the expression of NR2B in colon was more inhibited in ST36 group than in PC6 group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: EA at different acupoints could obviously relieve abdominal pain and abnormal behaviors in IBS rats in different degrees of effects. The effect of abdominal pain-relief, from greatest to least, is ST25, ST36, GV29, and PC6, while the effect of relieving abnormal behaviors caused by IBS, from greatest to least, is GV29, PC6, ST36, and ST25. There are significant differences in the expressions of NMDA receptors in ACC and colon among different acupoints. This difference should be related to the location distribution and indications of acupoints.

[Effect of Electroacupuncture at "Yintang" (GV 29) and "Tianshu" (ST 25) on the Ethology and the Expression of TRPV 1 Receptor in Colon of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the ethology and expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1(TRPV 1) in colon of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) rats treated by electroacupuncture (EA) at "Yintang" (GV 29) and "Tianshu" (ST 25), so as to explore the different effectiveness of different acupoints and its related mechanism underlying improvement of the symptoms of somatopsychic illness. METHODS: Thirty-two neonatal Wistar rats were randomly divided into blank control group, model group, Yintang (GV 29) group, and Tianshu (ST 25) group (n=8 in each group). IBS model was established by neonatal maternal separation and acetic acid enema combined with colon and rectum expansion stimulation. Rats of the GV 29 and ST 25 groups were given EA treatment at age of 9 weeks old, 20 minutes, once every other day for 5 times. Latency of the 1st time contraction wave and numbers of contractive wave in 90 s were recorded to evaluate abdominal visceral sensitivity by abdominal withdrawal reflex. Horizontal and vertical movements were observed to assess the emotional and psychological behavior of rats by open field test. TRPV 1 expression in colon was detected by immunohistochemistry method. RESULTS: Compared with the black control group, latency of the 1st time contractive wave was significantly shortened and the wave numbers in 90 s were increased significantly in the model group (P<0.01), while the numbers of vertical and horizontal movements were also significantly reduced (P<0.01), accompanied with increased TRPV 1 expression in the colon (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, After EA intervention, the levels of the above-mentioned 5 indexes were significantly reversed in the GV 29 and ST 25 groups (P<0.01,P<0.05), except the number of horizontal movement in the ST 25 group (P>0.05). The expression level of TRPV 1 was significantly lower in the ST 25 group than in the GV 29 group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: EA at GV 29 and ST 25 can alleviate the abdominal pain and improve the mental and emotional disorders in IBS rats. GV 29 has a better effect on relieving the depressive-like psychoemotional behavior of IBS rats, while ST 25 is more effective in treating abdominal pain. There is significantly different influence on TRPV 1 expression in colon between these two treatment groups, which may contribute to their different effect in pain relieving.

[Effect of acupuncture at different time points on kidney function and oxygen free radical metabolism in rats with simulated weightlessness].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of pre-acupuncture and immediate acupuncture on kidney function and oxygen free radical metabolism in rats with simulated weightlessness. METHODS: Twenty male clean-grade Wister rats were randomly divided into a normal control group, a model group, a pre-acupuncture group and an immediate acupuncture group, 5 rats in each one. The rats in the normal control group did not receive any treatment but free activities for 4 weeks. The rats in the rest groups received 4-week tail suspension to establish the model of simulated weightlessness. One week before the tail suspension, the rats in the pre-acupuncture group were treated with electroacupuncture at "Shenshu" (BL 23), "Pishu" (BL 20) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) for 30 min per treatment, once a day for 7 days. The rats in the immediate acupuncture group received tail suspension and acupuncture at the same time; during the tail suspension, the electroacupuncture was applied at "Shenshu" (BL 23), "Pishu" (BL 20) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) for 30 min per treatment, once every other day for 14 days. The colorimetric method was used to measure the content of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in serum as well as activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and content of malonaldehyde (MDA) in renal tissue in each group. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the content of BUN in the model group was increased significantly (P<0.01), the activity of SOD and GSH-PX in nephridial tissue was significantly reduced (both P<0.01), and the content of MDA was increased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the content of BUN in the pre-acupuncture group and immediate acupuncture group was significantly reduced (P<0.01, P<0.05), the activity of GSH-PX in the pre-acupuncture group was obviously increased (P<0.05) and the content of MDA in the immediate acupuncture group was increased significantly (P<0.01). Compared with the immediate acupuncture group, the content of MDA in the pre-acupuncture group was lower (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The pre-acupuncture and immediate acupuncture both have the capacity to improve the kidney function and anti-oxygen free radical injury in rats with simulated weightlessness, however, the capacity to increase the protection ability of the kidney and eliminate free radical in the pre-acupuncture group is superior to that in the immediate acupuncture group, which is likely to be related with improving antioxidant ability of kidney.

Effect of electro-acupuncture at different acupoints on neuropeptide and somatostatin in rat brain with irritable bowel syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the regulatory effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) at acupoints Zusanli (ST36) and Hegu (LI4) on the visceral hyper-sensitivity in the rat model of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and to explore the acting targets and specialty of acupoints. METHODS: Except 8 rats of the normal control group, the rest 32 rats were prepared to set up the IBS models. IBS animal model was prepared by enema with acetic acid. Model rats were divided into three groups. Except for rats in the model group for control, those in the other two groups were treated 20 min by EA on ST36 (EA-ST36) and LI4 (EA-LI4) respectively for 2 weeks to observe the effect on behavior response of viscera sensitivity. The changes of neuropeptide (NPY), the somatostatin (SS) levels in blood and tissues of brain and intestine were monitored as well. RESULTS: The volume thresholds for abdomen uplifting and back hunching were obviously increased after EA-ST36 (P<0.05), but showed insignificant change after EA-LI4. NPY contents lowered and SS contents increased in model rats; both EA-ST36 and EA-LI4 could raise the level of thalamic NPY (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively), but showed insignificant effects on NPY in colonic tissue. As for SS content, its colonic level could be reduced by EA-S36 and EA-LI4 (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively), however, its blood level was affected only by EA-ST36 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: EA-ST36 or EA-LI4 could regulate the NPY in thalamus and SS in colonic tissue, the former could affect blood level of SS as well. It is deemed that NPY and SS may be the key substances for regulating the action of acupuncture in the brain-intestinal axis; their different levels could be regarded as an indicator for the functional difference between the acupoints.

[Massage manipulation of supplementing marrow and kneading tendon in treating 30 children with spastic cerebral palsy].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of massage with manipulation of supplementing marrow and kneading tendon (SMKT) on spastic cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: A total of 60 children with CP were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group equally. All were treated with rehabilitation training, but massage with SMKT was carried out additionally for those in the treatment group, five times every week and 3 months as a therapeutic course. Clinical efficacy was assessed adopting the gross motor function measurement (GMFM-66) and the revised Ashworth scale (MAS) before and after treatment. RESULTS: All children showed significant improvements in GMFM-66 after treatment. Compared with baseline, the improvement was statistically significant (P <0.01). Significant difference was also found between the 2 groups in MAS and in GMFM scores after treatment (P <0.05). CONCLUSION: Massage with SMKT manipulation shows a better effect than rehabilitation training therapy alone in treating spastic CP.

[Effects of electroacupuncture on CRH, IL-2 and beta-EP contents in the hypothalamus in the rat of adjuvant arthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore Mechanisms of electroacupuncture in anti-inflammation and immunoregulation, and to compare differences among "Dazhui" (GV 14), "Mingmen "(GV 4) and non-acupoint in these actions. METHODS: Adjuvant arthritis rat model was made. The rats were divided into 5 groups: normal group, model group, "Dazhui" (GV 14) electroacupuncture group, "Mingmen" (GV 4) electroacupuncture group and non-acupoint electroacupuncture group. Effects of electroacupuncture on local joint inflammation and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), beta-endorphin (betaEP) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) contents in the hypothalamus were observed and differences of the actions among different points were compared. RESULTS: CRH content in the hypothalamus in the "Dazhui" (GV 14) electroacupuncture group decreased as compared with the model group (P < 0.05); there was no significant change in beta-EP and IL-2 contents of the hypothalamus in the 3 electroacupuncture groups as compared with the model group (P > 0.05); there was positive correlation between CRH and IL-2 contents, and between IL-2 and beta-EP contents in the hypothalamus. The swelling rate of the toe in the "Dazhui" (GV 14) group and the "Mingmen" (GV 4) group was lower than that in the non-acupoint group (P < 0 05). CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture exerts anti-inflammation and immunoregulation possibly via regulation of CRH, IL-2 and beta-EP each other, and the anti-inflammation action of "Dazhui" (GV 14) and "Mingmen" (GV 4) is stronger than that of non-acupoint.