title: Acupuncture stimulation at Sanyinjiao: effect on the sodium pertechnetate bioavailability in rats.
abstract: In clinical acupuncture, when acupuncture points are stimulated, several types of reflex responses can be evoked. Consequently, different categories of physiological responses are induced, which include changes in the activities of internal organs and tissues. The acupuncture point Sanyinjiao (SP6) has been used successfully to treat different human gastrointestinal conditions. The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of end-organ response induced by acupuncture point SP6 on the bioavailability of the radiopharmaceutical sodium pertechnetate (Na99mTcO4) in Wistar rats. Healthy rats were allocated into 2 groups, control-CG and treated-TG. TG was bilaterally stimulated at acupuncture point SP6 with stainless steel needles. Ocular plexus administration of Na99mTcO4 (3.7MBq) was carried out 10 min after every needle insertion in all animals. Ten minutes later, the animals were killed, the organs were isolated, the radioactivity was determined in a well gamma counter, and the percentage of injected dose per gram of tissue (%ID/g) was determined for each organ. The %ID/g was significantly altered (p < 0.05) in the small intestine of TG (0.56 +/- 0.09) when compared to CG (0.82 +/- 0.18). These results may suggest that this stimulation might induce physiological responses capable of altering the bioavailability of the radiopharmaceutical sodium pertechnetate. These findings aid in providing a better understanding of acupuncture and its effects on various organs and tissues.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Radiofarmácia Experimental, Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. deise_desouza@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Deise Elisabete
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Vasco
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Senna-Fernandes
authors.forename: Lavínia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Carvalho Brito
authors.forename: Raphael Sancho Sisley
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Daisy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: França
authors.forename: Cristiano Viana
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Manoel
authors.forename: Marcela Ceciliano
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernardo-Filho
mesh_terms: D026881:Acupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m