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eCAM Advance Access published online on August 1, 2007
eCAM, doi:10.1093/ecam/nem077
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© 2007 The Author(s).
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Review

Mechanism of Reflex Regulation of the Gastroduodenal Function by Acupuncture

Eitaro Noguchi

Faculty of Health Science, National University Corporation, Tsukuba University of Technology, Japan

Many clinical studies focus on the effects of acupuncture on digestive disorders. However, few studies describe the mechanism by which these effects are produced. We present some recent experimental work on the mechanism of acupuncture for reflex regulation of gastroduodenal function in anesthetized rats. In anesthetized rats, it has been proven that acupuncture to the abdomen excites sympathetic nerves via spinal reflexes causing inhibition of motilities while acupuncture of limbs excites vagus nerves via supraspinal reflexes causing an increase in the motilities. It has also been shown that in order to inhibit gastric motilities, acupuncture stimulation of the abdomen must be strong enough to excite group VI fibers of the afferent intercostal nerves. To increase gastric motilities, acupuncture stimulation to hind limbs must be strong enough to excite the high-threshold group III fibers of tibial nerves. It has also been shown that the neural mechanism of duodenal motility stimulation by acupuncture involves the same body regions and intensity of stimulation as that of gastric motilities. Theories regarding the underlying mechanism have proposed somato-autonomic reflexes and responses via endogenous opioids, etc., but without definitive conclusions.

Keywords: gastric motility – duodenal motility – gastric-acid secretion – somato-autonomic reflex – rat

For reprints and all correspondence: Prof. Eitaro Noguchi, Ph.D, Faculty of Health Science, National University Corporation, Tsukuba University of Technology, Japan. Tel: +81-29-858-9540; Fax: +81-29-858-9540; E-mail: enoguchi{at}k.tsukuba-tech.ac.jp

Received October 12, 2006; accepted April 30, 2007


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