Effects of electroacupuncture on cardiac and gastric activities in acute myocardial ischemia rats.
OBJECTIVE
To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of "Neiguan" (PC6) and "Gongsun" (SP4) on pathological changes of the heart and stomach in rats with acute myocardial ischemia (AMI), and to explore its underlying mechanism.


METHODS
Fifty Wistar rats were randomized into control, model, PC6, SP4 and PC6 + SP4 groups (n = 8 each group). An AMI model was established by occlusion of the descending anterior branch (DAB) of the left coronary artery. ECG-ST of cervico-thoracic lead and electrogastrogram (EGG) were recorded. EA was applied to PC6, SP4 and PC6 + SP4 groups, respectively. At the end of experiments, the rats were transcardically perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde, and the heart base myocardium, gastric antrum and duodenum tissues were sampled, sectioned and stained with a reduced form of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-diaphorase histochemical method for displaying nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity.


RESULTS
After AMI, ECG-ST values elevated. After EA, the elevated ECG-ST values at 20 min in PC6 group, at 30 min in PC6 + SP4 and SP4 groups had no significant differences in comparison with their respective basal values before AMI. Following AMI, the amplitude and frequency of slow waves of EGG decreased remarkably (P < 0.05). At 30 min after EA, the mean amplitude and frequency of slow waves of EGG in the three EA groups had no marked differences compared with their individual basal levels and those in the control group. After AMI, the mean integral grey values of NOS-positive product in myocardium, gastric antrum and duodenum tissues in the model group increased remarkably in comparison with the control group, while those in three EA groups were lower than those in the model group. No significant differences were found in ECG-ST and EGG improvement among the three EA groups. However, EA of PC6 had a better effect on ECG-ST and EA of PC4 had a better effect on EGG, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
EA of PC6, SP4 and PC6 + SP4 can significantly promote the recovery of cardiac and gastric electrical activities after AMI, and up-regulate NOS expression in myocardium, gastric antrum and duodenum tissues.
Wang
Shu-Bin
SB
Department of Physiology, Institute of Acu-moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, 16 Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei, Beijing 100700, China.
Chen
Shu-Ping
SP
Gao
Yong-Hui
YH
Luo
Ming-Fu
MF
Liu
Jun-Ling
JL
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004386:Duodenum / Q000201:enzymology; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006339:Heart Rate; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology; D016065:Myoelectric Complex, Migrating; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013270:Stomach / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase