[Electroacupuncture promotes enlargement of adrenals and enhances level of blood corticosterone in ovariectomized rats].

The present article reports EA with special acupoints may promote the enlargement of bilateral adrenals and enhance the level of blood corticosterone in ovariectomized (OV) rats. The mean of adrenal weight (M +/- SE, mg) as following, OV + EA group 71 +/- 2.1, OV group 57.4 +/- 4.7, EA group 57.6 +/- 1.1 and control group (CT group) 54 +/- 2.8 respectively. For observation of a self control, the detection of blood corticosterone contents was performed in the same animals before and after ovariectomy. The results showed that before ovariectomy the contents of blood corticosterone in the rats were 3.27 +/- 0.7 micrograms/100ml before EA and 3.63 +/- 0.9 micrograms/100ml after EA. No significant difference of blood corticosterone level was found before and after EA. After the animals ovariectomized the level of blood corticosterone increased from 4.38 +/- 0.62 micrograms/100ml to 6.02 +/- 0.77 micrograms/100ml following EA treatment (P < 0.01). No similar effect of EA treatment with control acupoints in OV rats was seen. These results suggest that EA may regulate the abnormal function of endocrine and this effect of EA possesses relative specificity of acupoint.