Electro-acupuncture of Foot YangMing regulates gastric activity possibly through mediation of the dorsal vagal complex.

Acupuncture at some specific acupoints of Foot Yangming can regulate gastric activity. However, its precise mechanism remains unknown. In our study, the effects and mechanism of electro-acupuncture (EA) at Tsusanli (ST 36), Shangchuhsu (ST 37) on the regulation of gastric activity were observed. EA at Tsusanli showed that gastric electric change had a significantly higher frequency and wave amplitude as compared to that of the Shangchuhsu group and other groups. EA at Shangchuhsu demonstrated the change of gastric electric was greater than that of the non-acupoint group and the control group. After bilateral vagotomy, the change of electro gastric graph (EGG) of EA at Tsusanlis was not significant compared to the control group. In the mean time, we have observed the electric discharge of the neurons in NTS and DMV. The frequency of electro-physiological activity in nucleus of solitary tract (NTS) and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve (DMV) in Tsusanli group and Shangchuhsu group were markedly increased compared with that in other groups. The results have indicated that EA at Tsusanli and Shangchuhsu not only regulate gastric activity, but also activate neurons in NTS and DMV significantly. Our study suggests that the effect of EA at Tsusanli and Shangchuhsu on the gastric activity may partially depend upon integrated nerve pathway and related central neurons in dorsal vagal complex.