Joaquim, J. G. F.

Luna, S. P. L.

Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research and Animal Science

English

S. P. L. Luna

J. G. F. Joaquim

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Effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on gastrointestinal peristaltism in dogs

Cadernos Espinosanos (E-Journal)

Cirurgia de Pequenos AnimaisEffect of electroacupuncture (EA) on gastrointestinalperistaltism in dogsLuna, S.P.L.I;Joaquim, J,G.F.11- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia - Universidade Estadual Paulista - Campus de Botucatu - SPThe digestive system is involved with several pathologies. Usually, the drugs used for managementof GI disturbances produce side effects, such as bradycardia, antidopaminergic effects and colinomimeticeffects. Acupuncture has been used to treat GI disturbances in animaIs and mano EA produced avago-mediated reduction in the time of gastric emptying and increased gastric myoeletric complex indogs. EA was more efficient than manual acupuncture to increase gastric contraction and pressure indogs and false acupuncture had little effect. Faecal excretion rate of chromic oxide (Cr02) is a non-invasive method to determine GI transito This marker can be mixed to the animal's food without anystress and faeces collected in the floor without restrain. This study investigated the effect of ea on theGI transit, by determining the faecal excretion rate of Cr02in dogs. Five adult healthy dogs were used.EA was perfarmed at their home and there was no change in amount and kind of food ar management.Cr02 (500 mg - capsule) was mixed to the food and given 2 hs before EA. Ali faeces were collected for60 hs after the treatment. A dense disperse alternate current electrical stimulus was applied bilaterallyfor 30 mins (9 v, square wave, 5 Hz) in the following acupoints: Stomach 36 (lateral side of the leg,distal to the head of the tibia in a depression between the muscles cranial tibial and long digitalextensor), Large Intestine 4 (between the insertion of the 1sr and 2nd metacarpal bones) and Bladder25 (lateral to the caudal border of the spinous process of the fifth lumbar vertebrae). The dogs werecontrol of themselves, i.e. the same dogs underwent EA and sham (false) EA one week later in arandomised crossover study. False points were located 1 em beside the real points. Cr02 excretion wasmeasured by colorimetry. Wilcoxon non-parametric test was used to investigate differences in chromicoxide excretion between the groups. Time of excretion of Cr02 was 45 hs according to a pilot studyin two dogs. The frequency of defecation was higher in the dogs submitted to EA (21) whencompared to the control group (15). Total amount and mean excreted concentration of Cr02 was alsogreater (p=0.03) in dogs undergoing EA (10,07% and 2.01 ±0.71 %) than in those undergoing falseEA (4.94% and 0.99±0.61 %) respectively. Gastrointestinal motility is controlled by local mioentericplexus and by reflexes from the stomach to pre-vertebral sympathetic ganglia, to spinal cord and tobrain stem. Both neural and humoral factors are involved and acupuncture may act as viscero-sornaticreflex involving both factors. The role of somato-visceral reflexes on the acupuncture effect in the GItract was reported before. Efferent vagal gastric nerve activity is increased by stimulation of the pelviclimb and abolished by bilateral vagal, femoral ar sciatic nerve section. The anatomical pathway of theStomach meridian and the femoral and deep fibular nerves are the same, explaining the previousfindings. Acupuncture-induced GI stimulation is a reflex phenomenon, with the afferent nervouspathway represented by muscle and cutaneous afferent nerves and the efferent pathway composed bythe efferent vagal gastric nerve and its reflex center, with the participation of the C S. The effect ofacupuncture may also be mediated by humoral mechanisms, such as acethylcholine, serotonine andendogenous opioid release. Previous studies using ultrassonography and susceptometry showedthat EA increased GI motility in dogs. This study using a long term assessment of GI motility,showed that EA increased long term GI motility in dogs and might be use fuI clinically for therapeuticpurposes in cases of constipation.Braz J vet Res anim Sei v.41 (supl) 2004SlPlRiGViOCPcOD1\,B150

Effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on gastrointestinal peristaltism in dogs

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Cadernos Espinosanos (E-Journal)