Abstract
Background acupuncture (AP) has been shown to have a therapeutic potential for gastrointestinal motility disorders. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects and possible mechanisms of acupuncture on postprandial upper and lower abdominal symptoms induced by rectal distension (RD). Twenty healthy volunteers were involved in a two-session study (AP and sham-AP, AP and no-AP, or sham-AP and no-AP). In 12 of the volunteers, RD was performed for 60 min in the postprandial state, and AP at ST36 or sham-AP was performed during the second 30-min period of RD. Gastric slow waves and heart rate variability (HRV) were recorded using the electrogastrogram and electrocardiogram, respectively. Upper and lower abdominal symptoms were scored during RD with AP and sham-AP. In five of the subjects, an additional experiment with two sessions (with AP and no-AP) was performed. In the remaining eight volunteers, the same experiment was performed with sham-AP and no-AP was performed. The results were, first, RD at an average volume of 171 ml induced upper and lower abdominal symptoms (P <0.01). AP, but not sham-AP or no-AP, reduced both upper and lower abdominal symptoms (P <0.05). Second, RD decreased the percentage of normal gastric slow waves (P <0.05). AP improved gastric slow waves compared with sham-AP or no-AP (P <0.05). Third, in the larger, but not smaller, sample size experiment, the vagal activity during the RD plus AP period was significantly higher than that during the RD alone period in the same session and the corresponding period with sham-AP or no-AP in other sessions (P <0.05). Neither sham-AP nor no-AP showed any effects on vagal activity (P > 0.05). Finally, in the experiment with eight volunteers, neither sham-AP nor no-AP showed any effects on RD-induced impairment in gastric slow waves, abdominal symptoms, or vagal activity (P > 0.05). The conclusions are RD induces upper or lower abdominal symptoms and impairs gastric slow waves in healthy volunteers. AP at ST36 is able to improve upper and lower abdominal symptoms and impaired gastric slow waves induced by RD, possibly mediated via the vagal pathway.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Journal | American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology |
| Volume | 303 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 15 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Functional gastrointestinal diseases
- Gastrointestinal motility
- Slow waves
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physiology
- Physiology (medical)
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Effects and possible mechanisms of acupuncture at ST36 on upper and lower abdominal symptoms induced by rectal distension in healthy volunteers. / Liu, Jinsong; Huang, Hong; Xu, Xiaohong; Chen, Jiande.
In: American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol. 303, No. 2, 15.07.2012.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects and possible mechanisms of acupuncture at ST36 on upper and lower abdominal symptoms induced by rectal distension in healthy volunteers
AU - Liu, Jinsong
AU - Huang, Hong
AU - Xu, Xiaohong
AU - Chen, Jiande
PY - 2012/7/15
Y1 - 2012/7/15
N2 - Background acupuncture (AP) has been shown to have a therapeutic potential for gastrointestinal motility disorders. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects and possible mechanisms of acupuncture on postprandial upper and lower abdominal symptoms induced by rectal distension (RD). Twenty healthy volunteers were involved in a two-session study (AP and sham-AP, AP and no-AP, or sham-AP and no-AP). In 12 of the volunteers, RD was performed for 60 min in the postprandial state, and AP at ST36 or sham-AP was performed during the second 30-min period of RD. Gastric slow waves and heart rate variability (HRV) were recorded using the electrogastrogram and electrocardiogram, respectively. Upper and lower abdominal symptoms were scored during RD with AP and sham-AP. In five of the subjects, an additional experiment with two sessions (with AP and no-AP) was performed. In the remaining eight volunteers, the same experiment was performed with sham-AP and no-AP was performed. The results were, first, RD at an average volume of 171 ml induced upper and lower abdominal symptoms (P <0.01). AP, but not sham-AP or no-AP, reduced both upper and lower abdominal symptoms (P <0.05). Second, RD decreased the percentage of normal gastric slow waves (P <0.05). AP improved gastric slow waves compared with sham-AP or no-AP (P <0.05). Third, in the larger, but not smaller, sample size experiment, the vagal activity during the RD plus AP period was significantly higher than that during the RD alone period in the same session and the corresponding period with sham-AP or no-AP in other sessions (P <0.05). Neither sham-AP nor no-AP showed any effects on vagal activity (P > 0.05). Finally, in the experiment with eight volunteers, neither sham-AP nor no-AP showed any effects on RD-induced impairment in gastric slow waves, abdominal symptoms, or vagal activity (P > 0.05). The conclusions are RD induces upper or lower abdominal symptoms and impairs gastric slow waves in healthy volunteers. AP at ST36 is able to improve upper and lower abdominal symptoms and impaired gastric slow waves induced by RD, possibly mediated via the vagal pathway.
AB - Background acupuncture (AP) has been shown to have a therapeutic potential for gastrointestinal motility disorders. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects and possible mechanisms of acupuncture on postprandial upper and lower abdominal symptoms induced by rectal distension (RD). Twenty healthy volunteers were involved in a two-session study (AP and sham-AP, AP and no-AP, or sham-AP and no-AP). In 12 of the volunteers, RD was performed for 60 min in the postprandial state, and AP at ST36 or sham-AP was performed during the second 30-min period of RD. Gastric slow waves and heart rate variability (HRV) were recorded using the electrogastrogram and electrocardiogram, respectively. Upper and lower abdominal symptoms were scored during RD with AP and sham-AP. In five of the subjects, an additional experiment with two sessions (with AP and no-AP) was performed. In the remaining eight volunteers, the same experiment was performed with sham-AP and no-AP was performed. The results were, first, RD at an average volume of 171 ml induced upper and lower abdominal symptoms (P <0.01). AP, but not sham-AP or no-AP, reduced both upper and lower abdominal symptoms (P <0.05). Second, RD decreased the percentage of normal gastric slow waves (P <0.05). AP improved gastric slow waves compared with sham-AP or no-AP (P <0.05). Third, in the larger, but not smaller, sample size experiment, the vagal activity during the RD plus AP period was significantly higher than that during the RD alone period in the same session and the corresponding period with sham-AP or no-AP in other sessions (P <0.05). Neither sham-AP nor no-AP showed any effects on vagal activity (P > 0.05). Finally, in the experiment with eight volunteers, neither sham-AP nor no-AP showed any effects on RD-induced impairment in gastric slow waves, abdominal symptoms, or vagal activity (P > 0.05). The conclusions are RD induces upper or lower abdominal symptoms and impairs gastric slow waves in healthy volunteers. AP at ST36 is able to improve upper and lower abdominal symptoms and impaired gastric slow waves induced by RD, possibly mediated via the vagal pathway.
KW - Functional gastrointestinal diseases
KW - Gastrointestinal motility
KW - Slow waves
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84863921059&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84863921059&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1152/ajpregu.00301.2010
DO - 10.1152/ajpregu.00301.2010
M3 - Article
C2 - 22592556
AN - SCOPUS:84863921059
VL - 303
JO - American Journal of Physiology
JF - American Journal of Physiology
SN - 0363-6135
IS - 2
ER -