Effect of electroacupuncture ST 36 Zusanli on serum levels of nitric oxide in patients with dyspepsia

Abstract

Dyspepsia is a gastroduodenal syndrome that affects the physical and the emotional quality of life. The available pharmacological therapies vary in effectiveness. Acupuncture can address dyspepsia symptoms effectively. Electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation at ST 36 Zusanli improves dyspepsia by modulation of nitric oxide (NO) in the gastric environment. This double-blind randomized controlled trial compared the effectiveness of EA treatment and manual acupuncture (MA) at ST 36 Zusanli to increase the serum levels of NO in patients with dyspepsia. Forty patients with dyspepsia were randomly allocated to EA or MA. The results showed there were significant differences in the mean serum levels of NO in the EA group compared to the MA group (p = 0.026). The results indicate that electroacupuncture at ST 36 Zusanli was more effective than MA in increasing the serum levels of NO in patients with dyspepsia (p < 0.05).