TY - JOUR
T1 - Investigation of specificity of auricular acupuncture points in regulation of autonomic function in anesthetized rats
AU - Gao, Xin Yan
AU - Zhang, Shi Ping
AU - Zhu, Bing
AU - Zhang, Hong Qi
N1 - Funding Information:
Dr. Xin-Yan Gao is supported by the Wofoo Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme of Chinese Medicine from the Hong Kong Baptist University. The technical assistance of Miss Nickie Chan is appreciated.
PY - 2008/2/29
Y1 - 2008/2/29
N2 - Auricular acupuncture has been used for various autonomic disorders in clinical practice. It has been theorized that different auricular areas have distinct influence on autonomic functions. The present study aims to examine the effects of acupuncture stimulation at different auricular areas on cardiovascular and gastric responses. In male Sprague-Dawley rats anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium, five auricular areas, which were located at the apex of the helix (A1), the middle of the helix (A2), the tail of the helix (A3), the inferior concha (A4) and the middle of the antihelix (A5), had been selected for stimulation with manual acupuncture (MA) and different parameters of electroacupuncture (EA). A mild depressor response (6%-12% decrease from baseline) was evoked from A1, A3 and A4 by MA and from all five areas by EA (100 Hz-1 mA). The biggest depressor response (- 18.4 ± 3.1 mmHg, p < 0.001) was evoked from A4. A small bradycardia was evoked by MA from A4 and by EA at A3, A4 and A5. Increase in intragastric pressure (8-14 mmH2O) was evoked by MA from A1, A3 and A4 and by EA at A2. These results show that similar patterns of cardiovascular and gastric responses could be evoked by stimulation of different areas of the auricle. The present results do not support the theory of a highly specific functional map in the ear. Rather, there is a similar pattern of autonomic changes in response to auricular acupuncture, with variable intensity depending on the area of stimulation.
AB - Auricular acupuncture has been used for various autonomic disorders in clinical practice. It has been theorized that different auricular areas have distinct influence on autonomic functions. The present study aims to examine the effects of acupuncture stimulation at different auricular areas on cardiovascular and gastric responses. In male Sprague-Dawley rats anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium, five auricular areas, which were located at the apex of the helix (A1), the middle of the helix (A2), the tail of the helix (A3), the inferior concha (A4) and the middle of the antihelix (A5), had been selected for stimulation with manual acupuncture (MA) and different parameters of electroacupuncture (EA). A mild depressor response (6%-12% decrease from baseline) was evoked from A1, A3 and A4 by MA and from all five areas by EA (100 Hz-1 mA). The biggest depressor response (- 18.4 ± 3.1 mmHg, p < 0.001) was evoked from A4. A small bradycardia was evoked by MA from A4 and by EA at A3, A4 and A5. Increase in intragastric pressure (8-14 mmH2O) was evoked by MA from A1, A3 and A4 and by EA at A2. These results show that similar patterns of cardiovascular and gastric responses could be evoked by stimulation of different areas of the auricle. The present results do not support the theory of a highly specific functional map in the ear. Rather, there is a similar pattern of autonomic changes in response to auricular acupuncture, with variable intensity depending on the area of stimulation.
KW - Acupuncture
KW - Blood pressure
KW - Ear map
KW - Gastric motility
KW - Heart rate
KW - Vagus nerve
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=38349016530&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.autneu.2007.10.003
DO - 10.1016/j.autneu.2007.10.003
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 18068545
AN - SCOPUS:38349016530
SN - 1566-0702
VL - 138
SP - 50
EP - 56
JO - Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical
JF - Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical
IS - 1-2
ER -