OBJECTIVETo observe the protective effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Zusanli" (ST 36) on inflammatory injury induced by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in rats.

METHODSForty-eight Wistar rats were randomly divided into a sham injury group, a model group, an EA group and a sham EA group, 12 rats in each group. Intestinal I/R rat models were established by method of clamping with occlusion of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) for 45 min followed by reperfusion. The EA group was treated with EA (2.5 mA, 2 Hz/100 Hz, 0.5 h) at "Zusanli" (ST 36) 30 min before reperfusion, and at the same time, the sham EA group was treated with fast insertion at two non-meridian acupoints on skin surface (2 cm horizontally away from linea alba abdominis and about 5 cm paralleled to cartilago ensiformis downward). No interventions were added on the sham injury group and the model group. The degree of pathological injury in intestines, water rate of intestines, diamine oxidase (DAO) activity and intestinal mucosal blood flow (IMBF) were examined at 1 h and 3 h after reperfusion.

RESULTSAt 1 h and 3 h after reperfusion, the intestinal pathological injury in EA group was significantly attenuated compared with that in model group, and the intestinal water rate of (74.00 +/- 2.11)% and (78.78 +/- 0.80)% in EA group were significantly lower than (80.69 +/- 1.66)% and (83.17 +/- 2.08)% in model group (both P < 0.01), but DAO of (68.83 +/- 4.31) U/L and (47.84 +/- 5.57) U/L as well as IMBF of (152 +/- 5.8) PU and (139.8 +/- 6.1) PU in EA group were significantly higher than DAO of (32.86 +/- 4.72) U/L, (17.01 +/- 2.96) U/L as well as IMBF of (124.7 +/- 8.3) PU and (89.4 +/- 13.2) PU in model group (all P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the above mentioned changes in sham EA group showed no significant differences compared with those in model group (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture can not only reduce the inflammatory injury induced by intestinal IR but also increase intestinal blood supply so as to protect the intestine function.