Effects of electroacupuncture on gastric motility and heart rate variability in conscious rats

Imai, Kenji; Ariga, Hajime; Chen, Cindy; Mantyh, Christopher R.; Pappas, Theodore N.; Takahashi, Toshio

doi:10.1016/j.autneu.2007.11.003

Cited by 75 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…More Met-enkphalin was released with EA at 2 Hz, whereas, more dynorphin was released with EA at 100 Hz (8,16). In GI motility studies, the commonly used stimulation frequency for EA ranged from 10 to 25 Hz: EA at 10 Hz/25 Hz was found to increase gastric motility in rats (17,52,53), and EA at 25 Hz accelerated liquid gastric emptying and enhanced antral contractions in dogs (7,34). In this study, EA was performed at 25 Hz, and the findings were consistent with previous studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electroacupuncture improves rectal distension-induced delay in solid gastric emptying in dogs

Yin

Chen

2011

American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comp

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Yin J, Chen JD. Electroacupuncture improves rectal distensioninduced delay in solid gastric emptying in dogs. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 301: R465-R472, 2011. First published May 18, 2011 doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00271.2010.-The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of electroacupuncture (EA) on rectal distension (RD)-induced delay in solid gastric emptying in dogs. Gastric emptying of solids was assessed in 12 dogs chronically implanted with a duodenal cannula by collecting samples at different time points from the cannula and measuring the dried weights of the samples. Bethanechol and atropine were used to qualitatively validate the method. In separate experiments, gastric emptying of solids was measured in a number of sessions: control, RD, RD ϩ sham-EA, RD ϩ EA of 6 mA, RD ϩ EA of 3 mA, and RD ϩ EA ϩ naloxone. The method of gastric emptying by collecting and drying gastric chyme from the duodenal cannula was found to be accurate and reliable. Using the method, we found gastric emptying to be accelerated with bethanechol (70.01 Ϯ 8.10% vs. 82.61 Ϯ 4.15%, P ϭ 0.04, vs. control) and delayed with atropine (4.31 Ϯ 1.57%, P Ͻ 0.001, vs. control). RD substantially and significantly delayed gastric emptying. EA, but not sham-EA, attenuated delayed gastric emptying induced by RD (sham-EA: 48.79 Ϯ 9.47% vs. EA: 74.28 Ϯ 5.96%, P Ͻ 0.01). The effect was more potent with EA of 6 mA than EA of 3 mA and blocked by naloxone. EA is able to attenuate RD-induced delay in gastric emptying of solids, and this ameliorating effect may be mediated via the opioid pathway. EA may have a therapeutic potential for treating delayed gastric emptying attributed to lower gut distension. gastrointestinal motility; acupuncture; gastroparesis; constipation PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC, IDIOPATHIC, slow-transit constipation and constipation-dominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C) frequently complain of upper abdominal symptoms, such as bloating, upper abdominal discomfort or pain, and vomiting. These symptoms are related to the presence of reduced motor activities attributed to impaired gastric antral contractions and myoelectrical activity, and delayed gastric emptying, as well as slow small bowel transit (1,3,14,38). The abnormality of upper gastrointestinal motility may be related to fecal stasis in the rectum or colon, causing reflexive inhibition (5,11,20,54). Rectal (balloon) distension (RD) mimicking fecal or gas stasis in the colorectal region is one of constipation models commonly used in the study of upper gastrointestinal motor activity. A number of studies have reported that RD impairs gastric myoelectrical activities, gastric tone, and gastric accommodation; reduces antral contractions; delays gastric emptying, and inhibits small-intestine motility in dogs and humans (1,2,7,11,21,39,54).Clinically, there are overlapping symptoms between functional dyspepsia and IBS-C (12, 44). Currently, there is a lack of effective medications for treating both upper and lower gastrointestinal symptoms. Acupuncture i...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electroacupuncture improves rectal distension-induced delay in solid gastric emptying in dogs

Yin

Chen

2011

American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comp

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“…Although the beneficial effects of acupuncture may be the result of the modulation of an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system (Iwa and Sakita, 1994;Imai et al, 2008), the cellular mechanism still remains unclear. The effects of acupuncture on gastrointestinal function are mostly investigated using electric stimulation (Lin et al, 1997), and in conscious dogs application of electro-acupuncture to points ST-36 and PC-6 has been shown to enhance the gastric migrating motor complex and acceleration of liquid gastric emptying through enhanced vagal activity, thus improving gastric slow wave rhythm and enhancing antral contractile activity (Qian et al, 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Acupuncture has been used in Chinese medicine to modulate the physiological condition of intestinal organs, and its effectiveness may be the result of correcting an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system (Iwa and Sakita, 1994;Imai et al, 2008). It is shown in humans that an application of acupuncture on the lower abdomen induces gastric relaxation via the somatosympathetic pathway (Tada et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acupuncture modulates mechanical responses of smooth muscle produced by transmural nerve stimulation in gastric antrum of genetically hyperglycemic rats

Fukuta

Koshita

Nakamura

et al. 2009

J. Smooth Muscle Res.

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Effects of acupuncture treatment on mechanical responses produced by transmural nerve stimulation (TNS) and acetylcholine (ACh) were investigated in circular smooth muscle preparations isolated from the antrum of the stomach of genetically hyperglycemic rats. While control rats had blood glucose levels of about 140 mg/dl, this was approximately tripled in the genetically hyperglycemic rats, but only doubled in the acupuncture treated genetically hyperglycemic rats. Antrum smooth muscle produced phasic contractions spontaneously, with a similar frequency and amplitude in the three groups of rats. Effects of atropine and N ω -nitro-L-arginine (L-NA) on TNS-induced responses revealed that in the antrum smooth muscle of the control rats, cholinergic excitatory, non-adrenergic noncholinergic excitatory (NANCE), nitrergic inhibitory and off-responses produced projections: the last projection was considered to be non-adrenergic non-cholinergic nonnitrergic (NANCNN) in nature. In genetically hyperglycemic rats, nitrergic and NANCNN projections were enhanced and NANCE projections were absent. Acupuncture treated genetically hyperglycemic rats showed a reduction of NANCNN projection and enhancement of cholinergic projection, with no alteration to nitrergic projection, but a recovery of NANCE projection. ACh elicited inhibitory responses at low concentrations (1-30 nM) and excitatory responses at high concentrations (100-300 nM), in the three groups of rats. L-NA converted the ACh-induced inhibitory responses to excitatory responses. Immunohistochemical examination indicated no significant difference in the distribution of c-Kit expressing cells in the antrum smooth muscle from the three groups of rats. The results indicated that in antral smooth muscle, hyperglycemia was associated with enhanced activity in nitrergic and NANCNN projections and attenuation of NANCE projections, and that acupuncture treatment caused both a reduced blood glucose level and attenuated NANCNN projections. In genetically hyperglycemic rats, cholinergic responses were enhanced by acupuncture, possibly due to the enhanced cholinergic projections, with no change in the sensitivity of postjunctional muscarinic receptors to ACh.

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“…We have also shown that EA/TENS (10 Hz) on the hind limbs, but not the back, improved GI dysmotility induced by acute restraint stress in rats [21]. To avoid the spontaneous removal of inserted electrodes from the rat body, we invented hook shaped needles, as previously reported [20][21][22][23]. Thin stainless needles (34 gauge in 1 cm length) were bent in a hook shape.…”

Section: Tens Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In the last decade, we have studied the effects of somato-sensory nerve stimulation on GI motility in freely moving conscious rats. For ease of application in rats, we established the combined procedure of EA and TENS [20][21][22][23].…”

Section: Tens Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anti-Stress Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) on Colonic Motility in Rats

et al. 2012

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Effects of electroacupuncture on gastric motility and heart rate variability in conscious rats

Cited by 75 publications

References 36 publications

Electroacupuncture improves rectal distension-induced delay in solid gastric emptying in dogs

Electroacupuncture improves rectal distension-induced delay in solid gastric emptying in dogs

Acupuncture modulates mechanical responses of smooth muscle produced by transmural nerve stimulation in gastric antrum of genetically hyperglycemic rats

Anti-Stress Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) on Colonic Motility in Rats

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