Vagus nerve stimulation is capable of regulating autonomic nerve function. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the effect of auricular acupuncture (AA) is mediated by the vagus. This study was designed to investigate the effect of AA on gastrointestinal (GI) motility and the relationship of this effect with the vagus nerve.
Methods
50 rats were divided into five groups for observation of the effects of different types of acupuncture and influencing factors: control, AA, somatic acupuncture (SA), atropine and atropine+AA. The acupuncture points used for AA were ST (Stomach) and SI (Small intestine), while the acupuncture point used for SA was ST36. Electroacupuncture was performed for 15 min. A model of reduced GI motility was established using ethanol, and GI transit rate was used to measure GI motility. Heart rate variability (HRV) and the effect of atropine administration were investigated to study the relationship between AA and vagal activity.
Results
The GI transit rate increased in both the AA and SA groups compared with control, and no significant difference was found between their effects. In addition, after atropine administration, AA was found to be ineffective in influencing the GI transit rate. In the HRV analysis, no significant differences were found in the absolute low frequency normalised units, high frequency normalised units or the low frequency/high frequency component ratio in the AA or SA groups compared with control. After administration of atropine AA still had no effect on HRV.
Conclusions
The function of AA in improving GI motility is similar to that of SA, and this effect can be blocked by the presence of atropine, indicating that this effect is regulated by the vagus. However, HRV did not reflect the acupuncture-induced changes in vagal nerve function.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
HajnsekS., PetelinZ., PoljakovicZ.Vagus nerve stimulation in the treatment of patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy: our experiences. Coll Antropol2011; 35: 755–60.
2.
QiabiM., BouthillierA., CarmantL.Vagus nerve stimulation for epilepsy: the Notre-Dame Hospital experience. Can J Neurol Sci2011; 38: 902–8.
3.
JansenK., VandeputS., MilosevicM.Autonomic effects of refractory epilepsy on heart rate variability in children: influence of intermittent vagus nerve stimulation. Dev Med Child Neurol2011; 53: 1143–9.
4.
BiermannT., KreilS., GroemerT.W.Time perception in patients with major depressive disorder during vagus nerve stimulation. Pharmacopsychiatry2011; 44: 179–82.
5.
SabbahH.N.Electrical vagus nerve stimulation for the treatment of chronic heart failure. Cleve Clin J Med2011; 78(Suppl 1): S24–9.
TekdemirI., AslanA., ElhanA.A clinico-anatomic study of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve and Arnold's ear-cough reflex. Surg Radiol Anat1998; 20: 253–7.
8.
VentureyraE.C.Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation for partial onset seizure therapy. A new concept. Childs Nerv Syst2000; 16: 101–2.
9.
KrausT., HoslK., KiessO.BOLD fMRI deactivation of limbic and temporal brain structures and mood enhancing effect by transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation. J Neural Transm2007; 114: 1485–93.
10.
SchmidtH., Muller-WerdanU., WerdanK.Assessment of vagal activity during transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in mice. Crit Care Med2008; 36: 1990.
11.
PeukerE.T., FillerT.J.The nerve supply of the human auricle. Clin Anat2002; 15: 35–7.
12.
GaoX.Y., ZhangS.P., ZhuB.Investigation of specificity of auricular acupuncture points in regulation of autonomic function in anesthetized rats. Auton Neurosci2008; 138: 50–6.
13.
TakahashiT.Mechanism of acupuncture on neuromodulation in the gut—a review. Neuromodulation2011; 14: 8–12 12.
14.
NoguchiE.Acupuncture regulates gut motility and secretion via nerve reflexes. Auton Neurosci2010; 156: 15–18.
15.
YinJ., ChenJ., ChenJ.D.Ameliorating effects and mechanisms of electroacupuncture on gastric dysrhythmia, delayed emptying, and impaired accommodation in diabetic rats. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol2010; 298: G563–70.
16.
LiuS., PengS., HouX.Transcutaneous electroacupuncture improves dyspeptic symptoms and increases high frequency heart rate variability in patients with functional dyspepsia. Neurogastroenterol Motil2008; 20: 1204–11.
17.
ChenJ., SongG.Q., YinJ.Electroacupuncture improves impaired gastric motility and slow waves induced by rectal distension in dogs. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol2008; 295: G614–20.
18.
IwaM., TateiwaM., SakitaM.Anatomical evidence of regional specific effects of acupuncture on gastric motor function in rats. Auton Neurosci2007; 137: 67–76.
19.
ChangX.R., YanJ., ZhaoY.L.Effect of electroacupuncture at Sibai on the gastric myoelectric activities of denervated rats. World J Gastroenterol2006; 12: 5897–901.
20.
YinJ., ChenJ.D.Electroacupuncture improves rectal distension-induced delay in solid gastric emptying in dogs. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol2011; 301: R465–72.
21.
ImaiK., ArigaH., ChenC.Effects of electroacupuncture on gastric motility and heart rate variability in conscious rats. Auton Neurosci2008; 138: 91–8.
22.
ImaiK., ArigaH., TakahashiT.Electroacupuncture improves imbalance of autonomic function under restraint stress in conscious rats. Am J Chin Med2009; 37: 45–55.
23.
GucelF., BaharB., DemirtasC.Influence of acupuncture on leptin, ghrelin, insulin and cholecystokinin in obese women: a randomised, sham-controlled preliminary trial. Acupunct Med2012; 30: 203–7.
24.
HsuC.H., WangC.J., HwangK.C.The effect of auricular acupuncture in obese women: a randomized controlled trial. J Womens Health (Larchmt)2009; 18: 813–18.
25.
HunterR.F., McDonoughS.M., BradburyI.Exercise and Auricular Acupuncture for Chronic Low-back Pain: A Feasibility Randomized-controlled Trial. Clin J Pain2012; 28: 259–67.
26.
YunM., ShaoY., ZhangY.Hegu acupuncture for chronic low-back pain: a randomized controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med2012; 18: 130–6.
27.
UsichenkoT.I., LehmannC., ErnstE.Auricular acupuncture for postoperative pain control: a systematic review of randomised clinical trials. Anaesthesia2008; 63: 1343–8.
28.
KramerS., ZapsD., KutzD.F.Impact of surgical intervention and postoperative pain on electrical skin resistance at acupuncture points: an exploratory study. Acupunct Med2012; 30: 120–6.
29.
WuS., LiangJ., ZhuX.Comparing the treatment effectiveness of body acupuncture and auricular acupuncture in preoperative anxiety treatment. J Res Med Sci2011; 16: 39–42.
30.
GrimaldiD., PierangeliG., BarlettaG.Spectral analysisi of heart rate variability reeals an enhanced sympathetic activity in narolepsy with cataplexy. Clin Neurophysiol2010; 121: 1142–7.
31.
TembhurneS.V., SakarkarD.M.Effects of Murraya koenigii leaf extract on impaired gastrointestinal motility in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao2011; 9: 913–19.
32.
CaldasG.F., DoA.C.I., DaS.J.Antiulcerogenic activity of the essential oil of Hyptis martiusii Benth. (Lamiaceae). J Ethnopharmacol2011; 137: 886–92.
33.
WuW.C., ZhaoW., LiS.Small intestinal bacteria overgrowth decreases small intestinal motility in the NASH rats. World J Gastroenterol2008; 14: 313–17.
34.
TokitaY., YuzuriharaM., SatohK.The cholinergic nervous system plays an important role in rat postoperative intestinal adhesion. Surgery2008; 143: 226–32.
35.
LiuJ., QiaoX., ChenJ.D.Vagal afferent is involved in short-pulse gastric electrical stimulation in rats. Dig Dis Sci2004; 49: 729–37.
36.
Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and the North American Society of Pacing, and Electrophysiology. Heart rate variability. Standards of measurement, physiological interpretation, and clinical use. Eur Heart J1996; 17: 354–81.
37.
Radespiel-TrogerM., RauhR., MahlkeC.Agreement of two different methods for measurement of heart rate variability. Clin Auton Res2003; 13: 99–102.
38.
OuyangH., YinJ., WangZ.Electroacupuncture accelerates gastric emptying in association with changes in vagal activity. Am Physiol J Gastrointest Liver Physiol2002; 282: G390–6.
39.
Rivera-CalimlimL., HartleyD., OsterhoutD.Effects of ethanol and pantothenic acid on brain acetylcholine synthesis. Br J Pharmacol1988; 95: 77–82.
ChienC.H., ShiehJ.Y., LingE.A.The composition and central projections of the internal auricular nerves of the dog. J Anat1996; 189(Pt 2): 349–62.
42.
MoorthyS.S., KrishnaG., ElliottC.L.Is there an auriculovagal reflex producing cardiac dysrhythmias?Arch Otolaryngol1985; 111: 631.
43.
GaoX.Y., LiuK., ZhuB.Sino-European transcontinental basic and clinical high-tech acupuncture studies-part 1: auricular acupuncture increases heart rate variability in anesthetized rats. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med2012; 2012: 817378.
44.
OuYangH., YinJ., WangZ.Electroacupuncture accelerates gastric emptying in association with changes in vagal activity. Am Physiol J Gastrointest Liver Physiol2002; 282: 390–6.
45.
LeeS., LeeM.S., ChoiJ.Y.Acupuncture and heart rate variability: a systematic review. Auton Neurosci2010; 155: 5–13.
46.
KamathM.V., SpazianiR., UllalS.The effect of sham feeding on neurocardiac regulation in healthy human volunteers. Can J Gastroenterol2007; 21: 721–6.
47.
MalikM., CammA.J.Components of heart rate variability–what they really mean and what we really measure. Am J Cardiol1993; 72: 821–2.
48.
ChangC.S., KoC.W., LienH.C.Effect of electroacupuncture on St. 36 (Zusanli) and LI. 10 (Shousanli) acupuncture points on heart rate variability. Am J Chin Med2010; 38: 231–9.
49.
ChangC.H., HuangJ.L., TingC.T.Atropine-induced HRV alteration is not amended by electroacupuncture on Zusanli. Am J Chin Med2005; 33: 307–14.
