title: Ameliorating effect of transcutaneous electroacupuncture on impaired gastric accommodation induced by cold meal in healthy subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Impaired gastric accommodation is recognized as one of major pathophysiologies in functional dyspepsia and gastroparesis. Electroacupuncture has been shown to improve gastric accommodation in laboratory settings. It is, however, unknown whether it exerts similar ameliorating effect in humans and whether needleless transcutaneous electroacupuncture (TEA) is also effective in improving gastric accommodation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to investigate the effects of TEA on gastric accommodation, gastric slow waves, and dyspeptic related symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen healthy volunteers were studied in four randomized sessions: control, cold nutrient liquid, cold nutrient liquid + sham-TEA, and cold nutrient liquid + TEA. The subjects were requested to drink Ensure until reaching maximum satiety. The electrogastrogram (EGG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) were recorded to assess the gastric and autonomic functions respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1) Gastric accommodation was reduced with the cold drink in comparison with the warm drink (P = 0.023). TEA improved the impaired gastric accommodation from 539.2 ± 133.8 ml to 731.0 ± 185.7 ml (P = 0.005). 2) The percentage of normal gastric slow waves in six subjects was significantly decreased in the cold session (P = 0.002) and improved in the TEA session (P = 0.009 vs sham; P < 0.001 vs cold). 3) TEA showed significant improvement in the bloating (80.8 ± 5.7 vs 61.2 ± 26.2, P = 0.011), postprandial fullness (48.1 ± 12.0 vs 34.2 ± 21.2, P = 0.042), and nausea (29.6 ± 10.9 vs 19.2 ± 11.2, P = 0.026) in comparison with sham-TEA session. 4) Neither cold drink nor TEA altered vagal activities (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TEA improves impaired gastric accommodation and slow waves induced by cold drink and the effect does not seem to be mediated via the vagal mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.|Ningbo Pace Translational Medical Research Center, Ningbo, China.
authors.forename: Zhihui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Ningbo Pace Translational Medical Research Center, Ningbo, China.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Yinzhou Hospital Affiliated to Medical School of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Ningbo Pace Translational Medical Research Center, Ningbo, China.|Johns Hopkins Center for Neurogastroenterology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA.
authors.forename: Jieyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Ningbo Pace Translational Medical Research Center, Ningbo, China.|Johns Hopkins Center for Neurogastroenterology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA.
authors.forename: Jiande D Z
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D005260:Female; D018589:Gastroparesis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D062407:Meals; D008875:Middle Aged; D019518:Postprandial Period; D013270:Stomach / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology
keywords: electroacupuncture; electrogastrogram; gastric accommodation; heart rate variability