Effect of electro-acupuncture on substance P, its receptor and corticotropin-releasing hormone in rats with irritable bowel syndrome

Table 1 AWR[14] scoring criteria

Score 0	No behavioral response to CRD
Score 1	Immobile during distension of CR and occasional clicking the head at onset of the stimulus
Score 2	A mild contraction of abdominal muscles, but no lifting of abdomen off the plattorm
Score 3	A strong contraction of abdominal muscles and lifting of abdomen off the platform, no lifting of pelvic structure off the platform
Score 4	Arching body and lifting of pelvic structure and scrotum

AWR: Abdominal withdrawal reflex; CRD: Colorectal distension; CR: Colorectum.

Table 2 Threshold pressure of rat contraction reaction in different groups (n = 7) (mean ± SD)

Group	Threshold pressure (mmHg)
	Score 1	Score 2	Score 3	Score 4
Normal group	23.38 ± 3.15	41.26 ± 3.58	68.00 ± 8.97	86.35 ± 10.01
Model group	15.50 ± 3.25b	23.76 ± 3.91b	37.43 ± 6.75b	57.95 ± 5.45b
EA group	21.81 ± 1.93d	34.02 ± 3.87bd	50.50 ± 7.28bd	63.23 ± 6.24bd

^bP < 0.01 vs normal group;

^dP < 0.01 vs model group.

Table 3 Corticotropin-releasing hormone level in hypothalamus of rats and MC count in colonic membrane of rats in different groups (n = 7) (mean ± SD)

Group	CRH level (pg/mg)	MC count in each visional field
Normal group	42.68 ± 4.39	2.19 ± 0.31
Model group	66.63 ± 18.19a	10.0 ± 1.21a
EA group	42.81 ± 7.44c	4.81 ± 0.63ac

^aP < 0.05 vs normal group;

^cP < 0.05 vs model group. EA: Electro-acupuncture; MC: Mast cells..

Table 4 SP and SPR expression in colonic membrane of rats in different groups (n = 7) (mean ± SD)

Group	SP expression		SPR expression
	Optical density	Expressing area (μm2)	Optical density	Expressing area (μm2)
Normal group	14.21 ± 0.64	1772.77 ± 176.34	14.86 ± 0.48	362.65 ± 41.96
Model group	18.21 ± 1.07a	3157.31 ± 304.95a	16.36 ± 1.14a	532.83 ± 105.60a
EA group	16.29 ± 0.95ac	2020.09 ± 116.31ac	13.71 ± 0.70ac	340.02 ± 29.61c

^aP < 0.05 vs normal group;

^cP < 0.05 vs model group. SP: Substance P; SPR: Substance P receptor.