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Abstract: Acupuncture has been used in clinical trials for the treatment of abdominal pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, scientific evidence is still lacking and the underlying mechanism remains largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of repeated administration of electro-acupuncture (EA) on chronic visceral hypersensitivity and on the phosphorylation of spinal cord N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors in a rat model of IBS. The results showed that repeated administration of EA at bilateral points of Zu-san-li (ST-36) and Shang-ju-xu (ST-37) significantly attenuated chronic visceral hypersensitivity induced in young adult rats by neonatal colon irritation. Such an effect was not seen in either of the two controls: sham-EA at ST-36 and ST-37 without electrical stimulation and EA at control points (BL-62 and tail). Furthermore, rats with chronic visceral hypersensitivity exhibited high-level expression of phosphorylated NMDA receptor subunit 1 (pNR1) in the spinal cord (L4–L5 segments), which was markedly attenuated by EA treatment. In addition, EA at ST-36 and ST-37 neither altered the pain threshold of normal rats nor affected the expression of pNR1 in the lumbosacral spinal cord. Altogether, these data indicate that the EA-mediated attenuation of chronic visceral hypersensitivity is correlated with the down-regulation of NMDA receptors phosphorylation at the spinal level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: The present study aimed at observing the profile of metabolites in sensitized acupoints induced by myocardial ischemia (MI) and the effect of acupuncture intervention on the changes of the metabolites so as to explore the material basis of acupoint sensitization., Methods: A total of 20 New Zealand rabbits were randomly and equally divided into a control group and a model group. The MI model was established by occlusion of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery with a controllable air balloon inflation method for 5 min/time, twice a day (4-hours' interval) for continuous 5 days (the first stage of MI). After one day's rest, another 5 days' occlusion was conducted again (the second stage of MI) in the same way. The rabbits of the control group were treated with the same procedures but without occlusion. Subcutaneous microdialysis fluid samples were collected from "Neiguan" (PC 6), "Shenmen" (HT 7), "Xinshu" (BL 15), and "Taixi" (KI 3) regions on day 8(after recovery from operation), 14 (the first stage of MI), and 20 (the second stage of MI), as well as collected from PC 6 region during and post-acupuncture stimulation of PC 6, respectively. Manual acupuncture stimulation was applied to the right PC 6 for 30 min. Partial least squares -linear discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used to identify different metabolism patterns of the microdialysis fluid sample between groups and at different time-points in the same one group, and the distinct metabolites as the potential markers between groups were weighted via the values of variable importance in the projection (VIP) in combination with t-test analysis. An area under the curve (AUC) >1.0 indicated a test exhibiting good discrimination between groups., Results: Six metabolites identified to be significantly different between the control and model groups were L-glutamic acid, phenylalanine and 3-hydroxyisobutyric acid (which were significantly increased relevant to the control group), and L-histidine, octadecanedioic acid and 9-keto palmitic acid (significantly decreased relevant to the control group) in the microdialysate of PC 6, HT 7 and BL 15 regions. In the microdialysate of PC 6, 4 metabolites including L-glutamic acid, octadecanedioic acid and 8-isohydroxy PGF 2 α (significantly increased), as well as L-histidine (markedly decreased) were identified to be considerably different between the model and control groups. After acupuncture for 30 min, the AUC level of L-glutamic acid was further significantly increased ( P <0.05), that of L-histidine obviously decreased, and those of octadecanedioic acid and 8-isohydroxy PGF 2 α turned back nearly to the level of pre-MI., Conclusion: L-glutamic acid, phenylalanine, 3-hydroxyisobutyric acid, L-histidine, octadecanedioic acid and 9-keto palmitic acid from PC 6, HT 7 and BL 15 regions may be used as the material biomarker for MI-induced sensitization of these acupoints. Manual acupuncture intervention of PC 6 induces a significant change of L-histidine and L-glutamic acid in the local subcutaneous tissues.

Objective: To develop an animal model suitable for the study of acupoint sensitization in myocardial ischemia(MI) animals by observing changes of the mechanical withdrawal threshold (pain threshold, PT)., Methods: Twenty New Zea-land rabbits were randomly divided into control and model groups ( n =10 in each group). The controllable MI model was set up by installing a balloon occluder at the left anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery. Air inflation of the balloon was given for 5 min/time, twice a day (4-hours' interval) for continuous 5 days (the first stage of MI), with one day's rest, then, another 5 days' air inflation was conducted again (2 nd stage of MI). Electrocardiogram (ECG) of the standard limb lead Ⅱ was recorded for assessing MI, and myocardial 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was used to verify the degree of ischemic myocardium. The PT of the skin areas of "Neiguan" (PC 6), "Shenmen" (HT 7),"Taixi"(KI 3),hind paw(HP)was detected under conscious conditions,before MI, on day 8(after recovery from MI), day 14 (the first stage of MI), and day 20 (the second stage of MI), respectively., Results: The controllable MI model was successful due to a marked elevation of ECG ST Ⅱ after inflation of the implanted balloon and a distinct recovery after balloon deflation ( P <0.05). The myocardial TTC staining showed that the area of the myocardial necrosis was about 10%. The PT values were significantly decreased in PC 6 area at the first stage of MI and in both PC 6 and HT 7 regions at the 2 nd stage of MI ( P <0.01), suggesting a close relationship between the acupoints of the Pericardium and Heart meridians and the heart in terms of the basic theory of Chinese medicine., Conclusions: MI may induce a reduction of PT of some related acupoints in MI rabbits, and the controllable MI model of the present study is helpful to the study of acupoint sensitization phenomenon after occurrence of visceral diseases.

Objective: To observe changes of discharges of the sciatic nerve branch and mast cell activities and collagen fibers in the acupoint area during manual acupuncture stimulation of "Zusanli"(ST 36), so as to reveal the relationship between peripheral nerve and mast cell activities., Methods: A total of 30 male SD rats were divided into normal, acupuncture control (an acupuncture neidle was inserted into ST 36 without manipulation), manual acupuncture (MA), disodium cromoglycate (DSCG, suppressing mast cell activity) plus acupuncture (MA + DSCG) and col lagenase (dissolving the collagen fibers) plus acupuncture (MA+ collagenase) groups (6 rats/group). After dissection of a branch of the sciatic nerve innervating ST 36 region in the left hind-limb under anesthesia, the ipsilateral ST 36 was stimulated by manipulating the acupuncture needle for 20 min. Discharges of the sciatic nerve branch were recorded by using a pair of metal electrodes and data acquisition system (Power Lab). Skin and muscle tissues of ST 36 area were sampled, sliced and stained with Toluidine Blue for detecting the number of degranulated mast cells., Results: Compared with the control group, the mean power spectrum of d ischarges of the sciatic nerve and the mean rates of the degranulated mast cells in "Zusanli" (ST 36) area in the MA group were significantly increased (P<0.01). Whereas the mean power spectrum of discharges of the sciatic nerve and the mean degranulation rates of mast cells were considerably lower in the MA + DSCG group and MA+ collagenase group than in the MA group (P<0.01). No significant differences were found between the normal and control groups, and between the MA+NDSCG and MA+collagenase groups in the mean power density and degranulation rates of mast cells (P>0.05)., Conclusion: Manual acupuncture stimulation of Zuai"ST 36 can significantly potentiate the discharge activity of the sciatic nerve and induce degranulation of mast cells at the same time, suggesting an involvement of mast cells in initiating acupuncture signals by peripheral sensory nerve.

The so-called ultrasound acupuncture is a therapeutic approach for clinical problems and health care by applying the ultrasound energy to the acupoints of the human body directly or indirectly. It has been applied in clinic for about 30 years since 1980s. In the present paper, the authors review the development of both experimental and clinical researches in the past 30 years. Its clinical application includes allergic rhinitis, local pain, mastitis, angina pectoris of coronary heart disease, stroke, etc. Regarding the researches on the underlying mechanism of ultrasound and ultrasound acupuncture, the authors make a summary from 1) bioeffects (thermal and nonthermal effects) of ultrasound intervention; 2) cell lysis and nonlysis effects of ultrasound intervention; and 3) effects of ultrasound acupuncture on the degranulation of mast cells. Based on the idea that "inflammatory reaction caused by mast cell degranulation is one of the initial factors of acupuncture for inducing therapeutic effects", bioeffects including cellular changes, especially mast cell degranulation caused by ultrasound stimulation, are thought to be the main possible mechanisms underlying the favorable efficacy of ultrasound acupuncture intervention. However, the ultrasound metrology and the specific superiority of ultrasound acupuncture remain unknown up to now.