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APPETITE, OBESITY, DIGESTION, AND METABOLISM

Effects of acupuncture on vasopressin-induced emesis in conscious dogs

¹Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; and ²Department of Internal Medicine, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan

Submitted 26 May 2004 ; accepted in final form 21 September 2004

Although acupuncture has a significant clinical benefit, the mechanism of acupuncture remains unclear. Vasopressin, a posterior pituitary hormone, is involved in nausea and vomiting in humans and dogs. To investigate the antiemetic effects of acupuncture on vasopressin-induced emesis, gastroduodenal motor activity and the frequency of retching and vomiting were simultaneously recorded in conscious dogs. In seven dogs, four force transducers were implanted on the serosal surfaces of the gastric body, antrum, pylorus, and duodenum. Gastroduodenal motility was continuously monitored throughout the experiment. Vasopressin was intravenously infused at a dose of 0.1 U·kg^–1·min^–1 for 20 min. Electroacupuncture (EA, 1–30 Hz) at pericardium-6 (PC6), bladder-21 (BL21), or stomach-36 (ST36) was performed before, during, and after the vasopressin infusion. To investigate whether the opioid pathway is involved in EA-induced antiemetic effects, naloxone (a central and peripheral opioid receptor antagonist) or naloxone methiodide (a peripheral opioid receptor antagonist) was administered before, during, and after EA and vasopressin infusion. Intravenous infusion of vasopressin induced retching and vomiting in all dogs tested. Retrograde peristaltic contractions occurred before the onset of retching and vomiting. EA (10 Hz) at PC6 significantly reduced the number of episodes of retching and vomiting. EA at PC6 also suppressed retrograde peristaltic contractions. In contrast, EA at BL21 or ST36 had no antiemetic effects. The antiemetic effect of EA was abolished by pretreatment with naloxone but not naloxone methiodide. It is suggested that the antiemetic effect of acupuncture is mediated via the central opioid pathway.

chemoreceptor trigger zone; electroacupuncture; naloxone; retrograde peristaltic contractions; vomiting center

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