NMDA Receptors of Gastric-Projecting Neurons in the Dorsal Motor Nucleus of the Vagus Mediate the Regulation of Gastric Emptying by EA at Weishu (BL21)

Overview

Journal Evid Based Complement Alternat Med

Specialty Rehabilitation Medicine

Date 2012 Jun 2

PMID 22654955

Citations 3

Authors

Xin Zhang

Bin Cheng

Xianghong Jing

Yongfa Qiao

Xinyan Gao

Huijuan Yu

Bing Zhu

Haifa Qiao

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

A large number of studies have been conducted to explore the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) for the treatment of gastrointestinal motility. While several lines of evidence addressed the basic mechanism of EA on gastrointestinal motility regarding effects of limb and abdomen points, the mechanism for effects of the back points on gastric motility still remains unclear. Here we report that the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonist kynurenic acid inhibited the gastric emptying increase induced by high-intensity EA at BL21 and agonist NMDA enhanced the effect of the same treatment. EA at BL21 enhanced NMDAR, but not AMPA receptor (AMPAR) component of miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) in gastric-projecting neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV). In sum, our data demonstrate an important role of NMDAR-mediated synaptic transmission of gastric-projecting DMV neurons in mediating EA at BL21-induced enhancement of gastric emptying.

Citing Articles

Treatment of Diabetic Gastroparesis by Complementary and Alternative Medicines.

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The Neural Mechanism by Which the Dorsal Vagal Complex Mediates the Regulation of the Gastric Motility by Weishu (RN12) and Zhongwan (BL21) Stimulation.

Wang H, Shen G, Liu W, Huang S, Zhang M Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013; 2013:291764.

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The neural pathway of reflex regulation of electroacupuncture at orofacial acupoints on gastric functions in rats.

Liu J, Fu W, Yi W, Xu Z, Xu N Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013; 2012:753264.

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