A spinal neural circuit for electroacupuncture that regulates gastric functional disorders  

作　　者：Meng-ting Zhang Yi-feng Liang Qian Dai He-ren Gao Hao Wang Li Chen Shun Huang Xi-yang Wang Guo-ming Shen 

机构地区：[1]College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine,Anhui University of Chinese Medicine,Hefei 230012,Anhui Province,China [2]College of Acupuncture and Massage,Anhui University of Chinese Medicine,Hefei 230012,Anhui Province,China [3]Department of Neurology,Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine,Shanghai 200233,China [4]Institute of Health and Medicine,Hefei Comprehensive National Scicence Center,Hefei 230051,Anhui Province,China

出　　处：《Journal of Integrative Medicine》2025年第1期56-65,共10页结合医学学报(英文版)

基　　金：supported by the Anhui Province Scientific Research Planning Project(No.2023AH050851 and No.2022AH050438);National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81904095,No.82205274 and No.82101483);Research Project of Xin’an Medical and Chinese Medicine Modernization Research Institute(No.2023CXMMTCM016);Anhui University of Chinese Medicine 2018–2019 High-level Talents Introduction Support Plan(No.2019rcyb002);Excellent Youth Project of Anhui Universities of China(No.2022AH030065).

摘　　要：Objective Acupuncture therapies are known for their effectiveness in treating a variety of gastric diseases,although the mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood.This study tested the effectiveness of electroacupuncture(EA)at acupoints Zhongwan(RN12)and Weishu(BL21)for managing gastric motility disorder(GMD)and investigated the underlying mechanisms involved.Methods A GMD model was used to evaluate the impact of EA on various aspects of gastric function including the amplitude of gastric motility,electrogastrogram,food intake,and the rate of gastric emptying.Immunofluorescence techniques were used to explore the activation of spinal neurons by EA,specifically examining the presence of cholera toxin B subunit(CTB)-positive neurons and fibers emanating from acupoints RN12 and BL21.The stimulation ofγ-aminobutyric acid(GABA)-ergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn,the inhibition of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn,and their collective effects on the activity of sympathetic nerves were examined.Results EA at RN12 and BL21 significantly improved gastric motility compromised by GMD.Notably,EA activated spinal neurons,with CTB-positive neurons and fibers from RN12 and BL21 being detectable in both the dorsal root ganglia and the spinal dorsal horn.Further analysis revealed that EA at these acupoints not only stimulated GABAergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn but also suppressed sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn,effectively reducing excessive activity of sympathetic nerves triggered by GMD.Conclusion EA treatment at RN12 and BL21 effectively enhances gastric motility in a GMD model.The therapeutic efficacy of this approach is attributed to the activation of spinal neurons and the modulation of the spinal GABAergic-sympathetic pathway,providing a neurobiological foundation for the role of acupuncture in treating gastric disorders.

关 键 词：Acupuncture therapies Gastric motility disorder Spinalγ-aminobutyric acid-ergic neurons Sympathetic nerve ZHONGWAN WEISHU 

分 类 号：R24[医药卫生—中医临床基础]