Effects Of Electroacupuncture At Zusanli On Brain-gut Peptide In Rat Brain Stem

ObjectiveBased on the traditional Chinese medicine, the meridian system make all the organs and tissues of the human body into an organic entity. A great amount of research has been done indicating that EA at ST36 can achieve positive and regulatory effects on gastrointestinal motility and eletroacupuncture analgesia.1. To investigate effects of electroacupuncture of Zusanli(ST36) on the expressions of SPmRNA, SOMmRNA, GASmRNA in rat brain stem. To study the relationship between neuropeptides and EA at ST36.2. To explore the effects of EA at ST36 on the protein levels of Substance P (SP), Somatostatin (SOM), Gastrin (GAS) expressed in rat brain stem.3. To explore the possible mechanism for gastrointestinal motility and eletroacupuncture analgesia and their signal transmission along the meridian.Methods1. Seventy-eight SD rats were evenly randomized into normal control, Zuanli-EA, non-acupoint and bondage groups (at 2h, 4h, 6h, 8h time piont after 30 minutes EA stimulation). RT-PCR and image processing were used to study the changes at gene level in brain stem.2. Southern-blot technique was used to observe the influence of acupuncture at ST36 on the expressions of SP, SOM, GAS in brain stem and the relationship between EA effect and time.3. Twenty-four SD rats were evenly randomized into normal control,Zuanli-EA, non-acupoint, and bondage groups(at 6h time piont after 30 minutes EA stimulation). Immunohistochemistry and image processing were used to study the changes of neuropeptides at protein level in brain stem. Results1. The increased SPmRNA expression was seen in zusanli group and non-acupoint group compared to the normal group at 2h time piont after 30 min EA stimulation(P<0.05), there was difference between the above two groups at 6h and 8h time piont (P<0.05), the resulte was coincident with the Southern-blot result.2. SOMmRNA expression was inhibited at 2h time piont after 30min EA stimulation in zusanli group (P<0.05) , but an increase was seen at 6h and 8h time piont (P<0.05), the resulte was the same as Southern-blot result.3. An significant increase in both SP-IR and SOM-IR was found in zusanli group in RM, PAG, DRG etc. at protein level.4. There was also change of GAS expression at mRNA at 4h,6h and 8h time piont (P<0.05),and protein level at 6h time piont (PO.05).ConclusionsEA stimulation elicited an accelerated rease of neuropeptide gene expression. Zusanli-EA stimulation was specific. The different changes of expression at mRNA and protein level may neflect the effect of EA at ST36. This may constitute one of the mechanisms for gastrointestinal motility and eletroacupuncture analgesia. Neuropeptides may act as the chemical components for signal transmission along the meridian.