Electroacupuncture restores impaired gastric accommodation in vagotomized dogs

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on impaired gastric accommodation in a canine model. Ten dogs were chronically implanted with a gastric cannula in the stomach. Truncal vagotomy was performed in five of the dogs. A polyethylene bag attached at the end of a catheter was placed in the proximal stomach via the cannula. Gastric compliance, gastric tone, and postprandial gastric accommodation were evaluated using a gastric barostat with and without EA on two separate days, respectively. Results were as follows. (1) The postprandial gastric volume increase was 180.8 ± 54.3 ml in vagotomized dogs, which was significantly lower than that (317.3 ± 37.3 ml; P < 0.05) in normal dogs. (2) In normal dogs, EA did not affect gastric compliance, basal gastric tone, or postprandial gastric accommodation. (3) In vagotomized dogs, EA did not affect gastric compliance or basal gastric tone but restored the impaired gastric accommodation. The postprandial gastric volume increase was significantly enhanced with EA compared to the control (275.0 ± 45.8 vs. 180.8 ± 54.3 ml; P < 0.02). EA restores impaired gastric accommodation induced by vagotomy and may have therapeutic potential for patients with gastroparesis.