[Electroacupuncture for treatment of acute pancreatitis and its effect on the intestinal permeability of the patient].
OBJECTIVE
To probe into effect of electroacupuncture on intestinal permeability in the patient with acute pancreatitis and the mechanism.


METHODS
Sixty-eight cases of acute pancreatitis were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group. The control group and the treatment group were treated with anti-infection, inhibiting secretion of pancreas, improving microcirculation and protective agent of gastric mucosa, with electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36), Shangjuxu (ST 37), Gongsun (SP 4), Taichong (LR 3) and Xuanzhong (GB 39) added, twice daily for 3 days, in the treatment group. Their clinical therapeutic effects and changes of endothelin (ET), nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and lactulose/mannose ratio (L/M) before and after treatment were compared.


RESULTS
The total effective rate of 86.7% in the treatment group was better than 76.3% in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, ET, NO, TNF-alpha contents and L/M all were higher than those before treatment, with those in the treatment group being significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Electroacupuncture can significantly decrease permeability of intestinal mucosa in the patient with acute pancreatitis, reduce accumulation of endogenous inflammatory mediators (ET, TNF-alpha) and vascular active substance (NO) in intestinal mucosa, so as to alleviate necrosis of intestinal epithelial cells and protect the barrier of gastro-intestinal mucosa.
Section of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, General Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China. wxy821@sina.com
Xin-yu
XY
Wang
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D016232:Endothelins / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D010539:Permeability; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
D016232:Endothelins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide