[Effects of electroacupuncture on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and its mechanism].

OBJECTIVE

To observe the effects of electroacupuncture at Neiguan (PC 6) and Jianshi (PC 5) com- bined with granisetron on nausea and vomiting as well as serum levels of 5-hydroxy tryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) in chemotherapy patients.

METHODS

Seventy-two chemotherapy patients who met the inclusive criteria were randomly divided into an observation group (38 cases) and a control group (34 cases). The patients in the observation group were treated with electroacupuncture at Neiguan (PC 6) and Jianshi (PC 5) combined with granisetron injection; the patients in the control group were treated with electroacupuncture at sham-point 1 and sham- point 2, and the rest treatment was identical to the observation group. After 3-day treatment, the clinical indices including times of vomiting and severity of nausea, etc. were observed in the two groups.

RESULTS

(1) At the acute stage within 24 h, the times of vomiting in the two groups were not significantly different (P>0.05); at the delay stage, the severity of nausea was significantly higher in the control group (P<0.05). (2) As for the comprehensive efficacy and rate of complete control, there was no obvious difference between the two groups at the acute stage (P>0.05); while in the delay stage, the rate of complete control in the observation group was superior to that in the control group (P<0.01). (3) Compared before and after the treatment, serum levels of 5-HT and DA were evidently reduced in the observation group (both P<0.05), while those in the control group were not significantly changed after treatment (both P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Electroacupuncture at Neiguan (PC 6) and Jianshi (PC 5) combined with granisetron could obviously relieve the nausea in chemotherapy patients at the delay stage. The effect mechanism is possibly related to reducing the content of 5-HIT nndl nA