A spinal neural circuit for electroacupuncture that regulates gastric functional disorders.
10.1016/j.joim.2024.11.005
- Author:
Meng-Ting ZHANG
1
;
Yi-Feng LIANG
2
;
Qian DAI
1
;
He-Ren GAO
2
;
Hao WANG
1
;
Li CHEN
3
;
Shun HUANG
1
;
Xi-Yang WANG
1
;
Guo-Ming SHEN
4
,
5
Author Information
1. College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, Anhui Province, China.
2. College of Acupuncture and Massage, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, Anhui Province, China.
3. Department of Neurology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China.
4. College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, Anhui Province, China; Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Scicence Center, Hefei 230051, Anhui Province, China. Electronic address: shengm_66@
5. com.
- Publication Type:Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Keywords:
Acupuncture therapies;
Gastric motility disorder;
Spinal γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic neurons;
Sympathetic nerve;
Weishu;
Zhongwan
- MeSH:
Electroacupuncture;
Animals;
Male;
Acupuncture Points;
Stomach Diseases/physiopathology*;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley;
Gastrointestinal Motility;
Rats;
Gastric Emptying;
Neurons;
Spinal Cord;
Stomach/physiopathology*
- From:
Journal of Integrative Medicine
2025;23(1):56-65
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE:Acupuncture therapies are known for their effectiveness in treating a variety of gastric diseases, although the mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood. This study tested the effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) at acupoints Zhongwan (RN12) and Weishu (BL21) for managing gastric motility disorder (GMD) and investigated the underlying mechanisms involved.
METHODS:A GMD model was used to evaluate the impact of EA on various aspects of gastric function including the amplitude of gastric motility, electrogastrogram, food intake, and the rate of gastric emptying. Immunofluorescence techniques were used to explore the activation of spinal neurons by EA, specifically examining the presence of cholera toxin B subunit (CTB)-positive neurons and fibers emanating from acupoints RN12 and BL21. The stimulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn, the inhibition of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn, and their collective effects on the activity of sympathetic nerves were examined.
RESULTS:EA at RN12 and BL21 significantly improved gastric motility compromised by GMD. Notably, EA activated spinal neurons, with CTB-positive neurons and fibers from RN12 and BL21 being detectable in both the dorsal root ganglia and the spinal dorsal horn. Further analysis revealed that EA at these acupoints not only stimulated GABAergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn but also suppressed sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn, effectively reducing excessive activity of sympathetic nerves triggered by GMD.
CONCLUSION:EA treatment at RN12 and BL21 effectively enhances gastric motility in a GMD model. The therapeutic efficacy of this approach is attributed to the activation of spinal neurons and the modulation of the spinal GABAergic-sympathetic pathway, providing a neurobiological foundation for the role of acupuncture in treating gastric disorders. Please cite this article as: Zhang MT, Liang YF, Dai Q, Gao HR, Wang H, Chen L, Huang S, Wang XY, Shen GM. A spinal neural circuit for electroacupuncture that regulates gastric functional disorders. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 56-65.
