| Objective Through the intervention of electroacupuncture on slow transit constipation model rats,the expressions of 5-HT3 R and SERT in colonic mucosa of rats were studied and analyzed.The mechanism of whether electroacupuncture treatment of the disease could be conducted through the serotonin pathway was investigated,so that to provide a theoretical basis for the electroacupuncture therapy on slow transit constipation.Methods Total of 16 normal control rats are choosen by random in 100 adult Wistar rats.The others are used to induce cathartic colon by rhein.The 48 successful model rats were randomly divided into untreatment group,electroacupuncture group,medicine group,and dummy treatment group.Rats in normal control group and untreatment group were not given any intervention.In the electroacupuncture group,Tianshu(ST25)and Zusanli(ST36)were treated with electroacupuncture and saline was used to gavage.Rats in the medicine group were given 1% mosapride solution per day for gavage.Bundled and fixed but not acupuncture treatment was also performed.Rats in dummy treatment group were fixed daily with saline for gavage.The total treatment time was 2 weeks in each group.At the end of the intervention,the spirit,dietary status,fecal traits,difference of the temporal of first black stool,and the expression of 5-HT3 R in the colonic mucosa were observed.The expression of 5-HT3 R and SERT was also compared in each group.Results Compared with the normal control group,the temporal of first black stool of rats in each model group was prolonged,and both had statistical significance.There was no significant difference between the normal control group and the electroacupuncture group and the medicine group after treatment intervention,but there was no significant difference between the electroacupuncture group and the drug group.In addition to the normal control group,there was a statistically significant difference in the time of first black stool before and after treatment in each group.Before treatment intervention,fecal wet weight and fecal dry weight of defecation were statistically significant between the normal control group and the model group;fecal dry weight and fecal wet weight were statistically significant after treatment.The comparison between the normal control group and the dummy group was statistically significant.The difference between the electroacupuncture group and the drug group was no statistically significant compared withthe untreatment group and the dummy treatment group.In immunohistochemistry,5-HT3 R was strongly positive(brown coarse particles)in the normal control group,positively expressed(brown-yellow particles)in the electroacupuncture group and the drug group,and weakly expressed in the untreatment group and the dummy treatment group.Weakly positive or negative(light yellow fine particles or no expression).RT-PCR results 5-HT3 R expression compared with the normal control group,the electroacupuncture group and drug group was not statistically significant,while the untreatment control group and dummy treatment group had statistical significance,electroacupuncture group and drug group compared with the untreatment control group had statistically significant.There was no significant difference between dummy treatment group and untreatment control group.There was no statistical difference between electroacupuncture group and drug group,but there was a statistical difference between the sham treatment group.The drug group was compared with the dummy treatment group.There are statistical differences.The expression of SERT only in the electroacupuncture group had no statistical difference comparied with the normal control group.There was a statistical difference between the electroacupuncture group and the drug group with the untreatment control group.There was no statistical difference between the electroacupuncture group and the drug group.Conclusion(1)Electroacupuncture is effective for the treatment of STC.(2)The expression of 5-HT3 R and SERT decreased in the colon of STC rats.(3)Electroacupuncture treatment can up-regulate the expression of 5-HT3 R and SERT in colon of STC rats and restore intestinal movement to treat constipation.It shows that electroacupuncture treatment of STC may be achieved through 5-HT pathway. |
