Impacts of electroacupuncture at auricular concha on gastrointestinal motility in the rats with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

ObjectiveTo observe the impacts of electroacupuncture (EA) at auricular concha on gastrointestinal motility in the rats with type 2 diabetes (T2D). MethodsA total of 30 SD male rats were collected. 8 rats of them were in a control group and the rest 22 rats were prepared as the model of T2D by intraperitoneal injection with streptozotocin (STZ) and high-fat forage. Blood glucose ≥ 16.7 mmol/L for 3 times was considered as modeling success in rats, thus the rats were collected in a T2D group (n = 16). These 16 T2D rats were divided into a model group (n = 8) and an intradermal auricular electroacupuncture stimulation (iaES) group (n = 8) according to random number table. In the iaES group, intervention with EA was applied at auricular concha unilaterally each time, once daily, on both sides alternatively, 5-day treatment as 1 course, at the interval of 2 days between courses, totally for 4 weeks. No any intervention was given in the model group and the control group. At the end of 4 weeks of intervention, the gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion were determined, ELISA method was adopted to determine gastrin (GAS) and motilin (MTL), and random blood glucose value and food intake were recorded in the iaES group, the model group and the control group successively. ResultsAfter modeling, as compared with the control group, the food intake and random blood glucose were increased significantly (both P < 0.001) and body weight was reduced obviously (P < 0.01) in the T2D group. After intervention for 4 weeks, compared with the model group, the food intake and gastric content weight were obviously reduced (both P < 0.05), the serum GAS content, gastric emptying and intestinal transit rate, as well as random blood glucose reduction were all higher (all P < 0.05) in the rats of the iaES group, but the difference was not significant in MTL between the iaES groups and the model group (P > 0.05). ConclusionElectroacupuncture at auricular concha improves gastrointestinal motility in T2D model rats.