The effects of perioperative electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) on the contractile function of gastrointestinal longitudinal muscle strips in rats with appendectomy

ZHAO Gao-feng; YE Fei; ZHANG Jun-hong; CHEN Qi-cheng

Abstract：Objective To study the effects of perioperative electroacupuncture on the contractile function of gas -trointestinal longitudinal muscle strips in rats with appendectomy .Methods Thirty adult male SD rats were randomly di-vided into 5 groups, including control group, EA group, model group, model+EA group and Model +sham EA group. After anesthesia , appendectomy was performed in model group , while no operation was given in control group .Energized EA at bilateral Zusanli (ST36) were given in EA group and model +EA group, as EA at bilateral Zusanli (ST36) without energy were given in model +sham EA group.The EA was given once everyday for 7 days.After that, the longitudinal muscles from duodenum, jejunum, ileum, gastric body and antrum were harvested .Results The amplitude of duodenal longitudinal muscle was significantly higher in Model +EA group than that in Model group ( P<0.05 ) , and it was also significantly higher than that in Model +sham EA group ( P<0.05 ) .The amplitude of jejunum longitudinal muscle in Model group was significantly weaker than those in control group and EA group (P<0.05).The amplitude of ileum longi-tudinal muscle of EA group was significantly higher than those in control group , Model group and Model +EA group ( P<0.05 ) .The amplitude of gastric body longitudinal muscles in Model group was significantly weaker than that in EA group (P<0.05).The contraction frequency of gastric body longitudinal muscle was significantly higher in Model +sham EA group than that in Model group ( P<0.05) .There was no significant difference in the contraction frequency of duodenum , jejunum, ileum, or gastric antrum longitudinal muscle among the 5 groups (P>0.05).Conclusion EA stimulation could enhance the contractile amplitude of longitudinal muscle of rat ileum and gastric body .The effect of EA on the longi-tudinal muscle in rats is stronger than that of acupuncture alone .The amplitude of longitudinal muscle contraction in rat je-junum is impaired after appendectomy .EA stimulation and appendectomy have no significant effect on the contraction fre -quency of longitudinal muscle of duodenum , jejunum, ileum and gastric antrum.