Am J Physiol. 1996 Sep; 271(3 Pt 1): G524-30.

Inhibition of acid secretion by electrical acupuncture is mediated via beta-endorphin and somatostatin.

Jin HO, Zhou L, Lee KY, Chang TM, Chey WY.

Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, New York 14642, USA.

Electroacupuncture (EAP) was shown to inhibit basal gastric acid secretion in dogs and sham feeding-stimulated acid secretion in humans. However, its effect on a meal-stimulated acid secretion in dogs and the mechanisms involved remain unclear. In five dogs prepared with gastric cannulas, gastric acid secretion was determined by a dye-dilution technique for 60 min after intragastric administration of 200 ml of 4% mixed amino acid meal in six different experiments: study 1, no acupuncture; study 2, sham acupuncture (SAP); study 3, EAP; study 4, EAP plus naloxone; study 5, naloxone alone; and study 6, intravenous infusion of somatostatin (SS) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) at doses of 0.5 and 1.0 micrograms.kg-1.h-1, respectively. EAP was performed on three different points including Pishu, ZusanLi, and Neiguan. Biphasic electrical pulse (25-100 Hz, 12-16 mA) was applied continuously via needles for 75 min starting 15 min before meal. SAP on nonacupoints in hind- and forelegs was performed with the same electrical pulse. Plasma SS, VIP, beta-endorphin, and gastrin were determined by specific radioimmunoassays. EAP significantly inhibited acid secretion (75%; P < 0.01), which coincided with significant increases in plasma SS, VIP, and beta-endorphin and a significant decrease in plasma gastrin. Naloxone completely reversed EAP-induced inhibition of acid secretion and changes in plasma concentration of peptides. SAP also significantly suppressed acid output (30%; P < 0.05), with a modest but significant increase in plasma beta-endorphin. However, the inhibition by EAP on the acid output was significantly greater than that by SAP (P < 0.01). Furthermore, exogenous SS (0.5 microgram.kg-1.h-1) significantly inhibited acid output (78%), whereas VIP failed to inhibit gastric acid secretion. We conclude that, in dogs, EAP significantly inhibits meal-stimulated acid secretion. This acid inhibition is mediated by the release of beta-endorphin and somatostatin, and an endogenous opiate or opiates appear to play an important role in the release of SS, VIP, and beta-endorphin.