Effect of electro-acupuncture on substance P, its receptor and corticotropin-releasing hormone in rats with irritable bowel syndrome.

AIM: To investigate the effect and mechanism of electro-acupuncture (EA) at ST25 and ST37 on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) of rats. METHODS: A total of 21 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group and EA group. A rat model of IBS was established by constraining the limbs and distending the colorectum of rats. Rats in EA group received bilateral EA at ST25 and ST37 with a sparse and intense waveform at a frequency of 2/50 Hz for 15 min, once a day for 7 d as a course. Rats in normal and model groups were stimulated by distending colorectum (CR). An abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) scoring system was used to evaluate improvements in visceral hypersensitivity. Toluidine blue-improved method, immunohistochemistry and radioimmunoassay were used to observe mucosal mast cells (MC), changes of substance P (SP) and substance P receptor (SPR) in colon and change of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in hypothalamus. RESULTS: The threshold of visceral sense was significantly lower in model group than in normal group, and significantly higher in EA group than in model group. The number of mucosal MC was greater in model group than in normal group and significantly smaller in EA group than in model group. The CRH level in hypothalamus of rats was significantly higher in model group than in normal group, which was remarkably decreased after electro-acupuncture treatment. The SP and SPR expression in colon of rats in model group was decreased after electro-acupuncture treatment. CONCLUSION: EA at ST25 and ST37 can decrease the number of mucosal MC and down-regulate the expression of CRH in hypothalamus, and the expression of SP and SPR in colon of rats with IBS.

Suspended moxibustion relieves chronic visceral hyperalgesia via serotonin pathway in the colon.

Experiments in rats have shown that chronic visceral hyperalgesia can be relieved by electro-acupuncture, but the efficacy of suspended moxibustion for relieving chronic visceral hyperalgesia is still unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of suspended moxibustion on rectal sensory thresholds and to analyze its possible mechanisms when treating chronic visceral hypersensitivity rats. Suspended moxibustion was administered once daily to 37-day-old chronic visceral hypersensitivity rats for 7 days. The two acupoints (ST25, bilateral) were simultaneously given suspended moxibustion. Each treatment lasted for 15 min. Rats in treatment of suspended moxibustion was not anesthetized. Untreated chronic visceral hypersensitivity rats and normal rats were used as controls. The abdominal withdrawal reflex was determined during 30-90 min after the first treatment. A 5-cm long segment of distal colon was harvested after seven treatments and 5-hydroxytryptamine concentrations in the colon were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Abdominal withdrawal reflex scores from the rectus abdominis in response to colorectal distention were increased in rats with chronic visceral hypersensitivity, and the stimulation at strength of 20 mmHg was significantly depressed by suspended moxibustion. Suspended moxibustion increased the pain threshold and restored normal sensitivity by reducing 5-hydroxytryptamine concentrations in the colon of chronic visceral hypersensitivity rats.

[Comparative study on infrared radiation spectrum of yuan point and Xiahe point of the large intestine channel in the patient of ulcerative colitis].

OBJECTIVE: To probe the diagnostic value of the infrared radiation spectrum of acupoint for ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: A high sensitivity PHE 201 infrared spectrum instrument was used to determine the infrared radiation spectrum of Hegu (LI 4) and Shangjuxu (ST 37) in 34 cases of UC. RESULTS: Of 59 waves detected, there were significant differences in infrared radiation intensity of 28 different waves between the healthy people and the patients with UC in right Hegu (LI 4) (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) and 13 waves in left Hegu (LI 4) (P < 0.05); there were significant differences in 16 different waves in right Shangjuxu (ST 37) (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) and in 17 waves in left Shangjuxu (ST 37) (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); there was a significant difference in 18 waves between right and left Hegu (LI 4) of the patients (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) and 7 waves between right and left Hegu (LI 4) of the healthy people (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference in 4 waves between right and left Shangjuxu (ST 37) of the patients and one wave between right and left Shangjuxu (ST 37) of the healthy people (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Both Hegu (LI 4) and Shangjuxu (ST 37) show changes of infrared radiation spectrum when the intestine gets lesion, and Hegu (LI 4) can better show the change.

Electroacupuncture and moxibustion promote neutrophil apoptosis and improve ulcerative colitis in rats.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) and moxibustion on promoting neutrophil apoptosis. A rat model of ulcerative colitis was established by immunological methods using human colonic mucosa as antigen. All rats were randomly assigned to the model control (MC) group, EA group, or herbs-partition moxibustion (HPM) group. Normal rats were used as the normal control (NC) group. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from all rats and circular neutrophils from NC rats were isolated and cultured. Circular neutrophils were incubated with cultured supernatants of PBMCs from the MC, NC, EA, and HPM groups, respectively. Neutrophil apoptosis and concentration of IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha from induced cultured supernatants were detected by cell cytometry and ELISA, respectively. Compared with MC, HPM, and EA rats, mucosal inflammatory lesions abated remarkably. No hyperemia or edema was seen in the lamina propria, inflammatory cell infiltration decreased, neutrophil infiltration disappeared, and epithelial and crypt cells proliferated and repaired the ulceration of the mucosa. Neutrophil apoptosis was promoted. Concentrations of IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha were decreased, respectively. We conclude that EA and HPM therapy can improve ulcerative colitis rats histologically, which may be due to promoting neutrophil apoptosis and down-regulating monocyte cytokines. EA and moxibustion are effective for treating ulcerative colitis.