[Effect of electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) and Zhongwan (CV12) on intestinal nutritional feeding intolerance in patients with severe acute pancreatitis].

OBJECTIVE

To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of Zusanli(ST36) and Zhongwan (CV12) on intestinal nutritional feeding intolerance in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

METHODS

A total of 68 SAP patients (hospitalized from January of 2018 to December of 2019 in Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Medicine) were randomly divided into control and EA groups (=34 cases in each group). All patients of the two groups received the same early enteral nutrition treatment through nasojejunal tube. EA (5-15 Hz, 1-5 mA) was applied to bilateral ST36 and CV12 for 20 min, twice a day for 7 days. The incidence of feeding intolerance (abdominal distension, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, gastrointestinal bleeding), time to reach energy target, intraperitoneal pressure and the number of borborygmus in 1 min were recorded. The contents of plasma high sensitivity -C reactive protein (hs-CRP), IL-6 and endotoxin were measured using Latex immunoturbidimetric method, chemiluminescence and Tachypiens Amebocyte Lysate Azo substrate color development method, respectively, and the contents of urinary lactulose and mannitol detected using high-performance liquid chromatography. The total protein and albumin levels in the blood were measured for assessing the patients' nutrition status, and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation scoring system (APACHE-Ⅱ) score was determined for assessing the severity of disease.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the incidence of abdominal distension, vomiting and constipation, intolerance rate to feeding, time to reach the energy target, intraperitoneal pressure on day 7, inflammatory indexes, hs-CRP, IL-6, endotoxin, urine L/M on day 4 and 7, and the APACHE Ⅱ score on day 7 were significantly lower (<0.01), and the number of borborygmus in 1 min on day 4 and 7 after the treatment was significantly higher in the EA group (<0.01). In comparison with pretreatment, the abdominal pressure and plasma endotoxin level on day 4 and 7, hs-CRP, IL-6 and L/M ratio on day 1, 4 and 7, as well as APACHE Ⅱ score on day 7 after the treatment were significantly decreased in the two groups (<0.01), and the number of borborygmus on day 4 and 7, and the total protein and albumin on day 7 significantly increased in both the control and EA groups (<0.01).

CONCLUSION

EA of ST36 and CV12 can shorten the time to reach the energy target, reduce inflammatory response, improve the intestinal mucosal barrier function, and thus reduce the incidence of feeding intolerance in SAP patients.