Yang Yu, Yu Haijie, Babygirija Reji, Shi Bei, Sun Weinan, Zheng Xiaojiao, Zheng Jun
Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
Front Neurosci. 2021 Jan 26;14:629003. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2020.629003. eCollection 2020.
Stress can increase the release of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the hypothalamus, resulting in attenuation of gastric motor functions. In contrast, central neuropeptide Y (NPY) can reduce the biological actions of CRF, and in turn weaken stress responses. Although electroacupuncture (EA) at stomach 36 (ST-36) has been shown to have anti-stress effects, its mechanism has not yet been investigated. The effect of EA at ST-36 on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and gastrointestinal motility in chronic complicated stress (CCS) conditions have not been studied and the inhibitory mechanism of NPY on CRF through the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor need to be further investigated. A CCS rat model was set up, EA at ST-36 was applied to the bilateral hind limbs every day prior to the stress loading. Further, a GABA receptor antagonist was intracerebroventricularly (ICV) injected daily. Central CRF and NPY expression levels were studied, serum corticosterone and NPY concentrations were analyzed, and gastric motor functions were assessed. CCS rats showed significantly elevated CRF expression and corticosterone levels, which resulted in inhibited gastric motor functions. EA at ST-36 significantly increased central mRNA expression and reduced central mRNA expression as well as the plasma corticosterone level, helping to restore gastric motor function. However, ICV administration of the GABA receptor antagonist significantly abolished these effects. EA at ST-36 upregulates the hypothalamic NPY system. NPY may, through the GABA receptor, significantly antagonize the overexpressed central CRF and attenuate the HPA axis activities in CCS conditions, exerting influences and helping to restore gastric motor function.
应激可增加下丘脑促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子（CRF）的释放，导致胃运动功能减弱。相反，中枢神经肽Y（NPY）可降低CRF的生物学作用，进而减弱应激反应。虽然针刺足三里（ST-36）已被证明具有抗应激作用，但其机制尚未得到研究。针刺ST-36对慢性复合应激（CCS）条件下下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴和胃肠动力的影响尚未见报道，且NPY通过γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）受体对CRF的抑制机制有待进一步研究。建立了CCS大鼠模型，在应激负荷前每天对双侧后肢施加ST-36针刺。此外，每天脑室内（ICV）注射GABA受体拮抗剂。研究中枢CRF和NPY表达水平，分析血清皮质酮和NPY浓度，并评估胃运动功能。CCS大鼠CRF表达和皮质酮水平显著升高，导致胃运动功能受到抑制。针刺ST-36显著增加中枢mRNA表达，降低中枢mRNA表达以及血浆皮质酮水平，有助于恢复胃运动功能。然而，ICV注射GABA受体拮抗剂可显著消除这些作用。针刺ST-36上调下丘脑NPY系统。在CCS条件下，NPY可能通过GABA受体显著拮抗中枢CRF的过度表达，减弱HPA轴活动，发挥作用并有助于恢复胃运动功能。
