Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biology, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, BR 465, KM 7, 23890-000 Seropédica, RJ, Brazil.
Department of Physiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, 14049-900 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
Physiol Behav. 2018 Mar 15;186:37-44. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.01.006. Epub 2018 Jan 9.
Sound stimuli such as fireworks, firearms, and claps of thunder have been used as a stress reactivity model for dogs. Acupuncture has been widely used to treat and prevent physiological and behavioural disorders induced by stress. Our study aims to evaluate the effects of acupuncture on cardiac autonomic modulation (heart rate variability - HRV), behavioural (reactivity) and endocrine (cortisol levels) responses in dogs exposed to sounds of thunder. Twenty-four laboratory beagles (12 males and 12 females, 1-6years old) with no history of phobia to thunder were subjected to a sound stimulus that consisted of a standardized recording of thunder over a 150s period with a maximum intensity of 103-104dB. Before the sound, the dogs underwent a 20-minute session of needle insertion at acupuncture points Yintang, GV20, HT7, PC6 and ST36 (ACUP), in non-points (NP) or left undisturbed (CTL). Cardiac intervals were recorded using a frequency meter (RS 800cx, Polar, Kempele, Finland) to evaluate the HRV, and the data were later analysed using CardioSeries v2.4.1 software. Acupuncture (ACUP) changed the sympathovagal balance with a shift towards parasympathetic modulation, reducing the prompt sound-induced increase in LF/HF (low frequency/high frequency) ratio and in the power of the LF band of the cardiac interval spectrum, and decreased the power of the HF band of the cardiac interval spectrum (p<0.05); however there was no change in the heart rate. Acupuncture reduced the behavioural response induced by sounds of thunder (when all behavioural parameters were considered together) and the behaviours hiding, restlessness, bolting and running around (when the parameters were analysed separately (p<0.05). There were no changes in cortisol levels due to the sound stimulus or acupuncture. Our results demonstrate that a session of acupuncture prior to sound stimulus can reduce cardiac autonomic and behavioural responses, without changing cortisol levels in beagles.
声音刺激，如烟花、火器和雷鸣声，已被用作犬类应激反应模型。针灸已被广泛用于治疗和预防应激引起的生理和行为障碍。我们的研究旨在评估针灸对暴露于雷声的犬心脏自主调节（心率变异性 - HRV）、行为（反应性）和内分泌（皮质醇水平）反应的影响。24 只实验室比格犬（12 只雄性和 12 只雌性，1-6 岁）没有对雷声的恐惧症史，接受了一段 150 秒的雷声标准录音刺激，最大强度为 103-104dB。在声音刺激之前，狗接受了在 Yintang、GV20、HT7、PC6 和 ST36 穴位（ACUP）、非穴位（NP）或不干扰（CTL）进行 20 分钟的针插入。使用频率计（RS 800cx，Polar，Kempele，芬兰）记录心脏间隔以评估 HRV，然后使用 CardioSeries v2.4.1 软件分析数据。针灸（ACUP）改变了交感神经与副交感神经的平衡，向副交感神经调节转移，降低了 LF/HF（低频/高频）比值和心脏间隔频谱 LF 频段的功率，以及心脏间隔频谱 HF 频段的功率降低（p<0.05）；但心率没有变化。针灸减少了犬类对雷声的行为反应（当所有行为参数一起考虑时）以及隐藏、不安、飞奔和四处奔跑等行为（当参数分别分析时）（p<0.05）。由于声音刺激或针灸，皮质醇水平没有变化。我们的结果表明，在声音刺激前进行一次针灸可以减少犬的心脏自主和行为反应，而不会改变比格犬的皮质醇水平。
