title: Electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) promotes gastric emptying and mucosal blood flow during oral resuscitation of scalded rats with a pyruvate-enriched ORS.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of electroacupuncture at ST36 (EA ST36) on gastric emptying and mucosal blood flow during intragastric resuscitation with pyruvate-enriched oral rehydration solution (Pyr-ORS) in scalded rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  The rats were subjected to a 35% total body surface area (TBSA) of scald injury and randomly divided into five groups (N=24) and two subgroups (n=12) in each group. The Pyr-ORS was delivered intragastrically according to the Parkland formula immediately after scalding at a dose of 1 mL kg(-1) %TBSA(-1) in 1 h. In these animals, the bilateral Zusanli points (ST36) were electroacupunctured at a constant voltage (2 mA and 2-100 HZ) for 0.5 h immediately after intragastric resuscitation. At 2 and 4 h after scalding, the gastric emptying rate (GER) and gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF) were determined, and the motilin levels of the plasma and gastric tissues were also analyzed at two time points, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GER and GMBF were markedly decreased in groups with scalding and resuscitation, compared with the sham groups at two time points (P<0.05), but they were greatly improved in groups byEAST36 at 2 and 4 h after sustaining scald injuries (P<0.05). Bilateral vagotomy further aggravated the reduction of GER and GMBF in scalded rats. EA after gastric vagotomy failed to raise GER and GMBF. Neither EA nor vagotomy had effects on the reduced motilin levels of plasma and gastric tissues in animals after scalding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EA ST36 has a significant effect on improving gastric emptying and mucosal ischemia in the oral resuscitation of burn injury, possibly through the activation of a cholinergic nerve-dependent mechanism. In addition, EA ST36 showed no effects on motilin levels, but requires further investigations.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Shock and Multiple Organ Dysfunction, Burns Institute, First Hospital Affiliated to the PLA General Hospital, No. 51 Fu Cheng Road, 100048, Beijing City, China; Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China. Electronic address: zhaozengkai1988@126.com.
authors.forename: Zeng-Kai
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Shock and Multiple Organ Dysfunction, Burns Institute, First Hospital Affiliated to the PLA General Hospital, No. 51 Fu Cheng Road, 100048, Beijing City, China. Electronic address: bs0425@163.com.
authors.forename: Sen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Shock and Multiple Organ Dysfunction, Burns Institute, First Hospital Affiliated to the PLA General Hospital, No. 51 Fu Cheng Road, 100048, Beijing City, China.
authors.forename: Li-Jian
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Fresenius Dialysis Centers at Chicago, Rolling Meadows Facility, No. 4180 Winnetka Ave, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008, USA. Electronic address: fqzh60130@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Fang-Qiang
authors.initials: FQ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, No. 28 Fu-Xing Road, Beijing 100853, China. Electronic address: 301sx@live.cn.
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital Affiliated to the People's Liberation Army General Hospital, No. 51 Fu Cheng Road, Beijing 100048, China. Electronic address: haibin304@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Hai-Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital Affiliated to the People's Liberation Army General Hospital, No. 51 Fu Cheng Road, Beijing 100048, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001830:Body Surface Area; D002056:Burns / Q000628:therapy*; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D019289:Pyruvic Acid; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012039:Regional Blood Flow
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes; C034130:ORALIT; D019289:Pyruvic Acid
keywords: Burns; Electroacupuncture stimulation; Gastric emptying; Motilin; Oral rehydration; Zusanli