Changes in Small Intestinal Motility and Related Hormones by Acupuncture Stimulation at Zusanli（ST 36） in Mice

• Published in: 中国结合医学杂志：英文版 2017, Vol.23 (3), p.215-220
• Main Author: Jung-Hee Jang Deuk-Joo Lee Chang-Hwan Bae Ki-Tae Ha Sunoh Kwon Hi-Joon Park Dae-Hyun Hahm Hyejung Lee Seungtae Kim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ghrelin; 小肠运动; 小鼠; 激素分泌; 激素变化; 血管活性肠肽; 针刺
• ISSN: 1672-0415; 1993-0402

Objective： To clarify the effects of acupuncture stimulation at Zusanli（ST 36） on the hormonal changes. Methods： Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice received acupuncture stimulation at acupoint ST 36 or Quchi（LI 11） once a day for 3 or 5 days in the acupuncture-stimulated groups, but not received in the normal group（n=6 in each group）. On day 3 or 5, animals were given 0.1 m L of charcoal orally with a bulbed steel needle, 30 min after the last acupuncture stimulation. Ten minutes later, mice were anesthetized, and the intestinal transit and the concentrations of vasoactive intestinal peptide（VIP）, motilin, ghrelin and gastrin in the serum were measured. Results： Compared to no acupuncture stimulation, acupuncture stimulation at ST 36 for 5 days increased the intestinal transit and down-regulated the concentration of VIP and up-regulated the concentrations of motilin, ghrelin and gastrin（P〈0.05 or 0.01）, whereas acupuncture stimulation at LI 11 did not change them significantly（P〉0.05）. Conclusion： Acupuncture stimulation at ST 36 for 5 days enhances the small intestinal motility and regulates the secretion of hormones related to small intestinal motility.