Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2021, Vol. 52 ›› Issue (8): 2309-2316.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2021.08.024

• CLINICAL VETERINARY MEDICINE • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of Hou-hai, Hou-san-li, Da-chang-shu on Rat Constipation and Neurotransmitters Related with Intestinal Motility

LI Shuo, WANG Haiyan, MA Aituan*   

  1. College of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
  • Received:2020-12-22 Online:2021-08-23 Published:2021-08-21

Abstract: Hou-hai (GV-1), Hou-san-li (ST-36), Da-chang-shu (BL-25) are commonly used acupoints for treating animal constipation. The present study aimed to clarify the beneficial effect of the three acupoints on rat constipation and the effect of acupuncture on gastrointestinal motility-related neurotransmitters, thus to know what degree and how the acupoints affecting the gastrointestinal system when relieving the constipation and which point being the best, also to differentiate the 3 acupoints for relieving constipation. Sixty SPF healthy rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, except for group A, rats in other 5 groups were given 3 mg·(kg·d)-1 loperamide once daily to induce constipation. In day 6, other than daily loperamide, rats in group C were given 1.38 mg·(kg·d)-1 suspension of mosapride for 6 days as western medicine control group. Rats in groups D, E, and F were dry needled at GV-1, ST-36, BL-25 respectively for 30 minutes for 6 days. And then 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), somatostatin (SS), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), substance P (SP), 5-HT3R and 5-HT4R mRNA were tested accordingly. Results showed that rats in model group B had typical constipation signs with the increasing of 5-HT and SS, while the contents of VIP and SP reduced, as well as the levels of 5-HT3R mRNA and 5-HT4R mRNA. The constipation symptoms for the rats in group C and the 3 acupoint groups were significantly relieved, the time period for the first stool was shortened, the water content in feces was increased, and the feces size was increased. Acupuncture at GV-1 reduced the content of SS in serum by 36.34% (P<0.01), the content of 5-HT was significantly reduced as well. Acupuncture at bilateral ST-36 down-regulated the serum 5-HT content by 23.93% (P<0.01), and up-regulated the relative expression of 5-HT3R mRNA and 5-HT4R mRNA in colon tissue (P<0.01). Acupuncture at bilateral BL-25, both VIP and SP increased by 27.48% and 22.75% respectively, while the 5-HT content was significantly reduced. All the 3 acupoints could increase the expression of colonic goblet cells. Dry needle at GV-1, ST-36, BL-25 would alleviate rat constipation, improve gastrointestinal motility and adjust the content of gastrointestinal neurotransmitters with some different pathways, and GV-1 being the best points on rat constipation induced by loperamide.

Key words: Hou-hai, Hou-san-li, Da-chang-shu, constipation rat

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