Electroacupuncture (EA) relieves visceral hypersensitivity (VH) with underlying inflammatory bowel diseases. However, the mechanism by which EA treats ileitis-induced VH is not clearly known. To assess the effects of EA on ileitis-induced VH and confirm whether EA attenuates VH through spinal PAR-2 activation and CGRP release, goats received an injection of 2,4,6-trinitro-benzenesulfonic-acid (TNBS) solution into the ileal wall. TNBS-injected goats were allocated into VH, Sham acupuncture (Sham-A) and EA groups, while goats treated with saline instead of TNBS solution were used as the control. Goats in EA group received EA at bilateral Hou-San-Li acupoints for 0.5 h at 7 days and thereafter repeated every 3 days for 6 times. Goats in the Sham-A group were inserted with needles for 0.5 h at the aforementioned acupoints without any hand manipulation and electric stimulation. Visceromotor responses to colorectal distension, an indicator of VH, were recorded by electromyography. The terminal ileum and thoracic spinal cord (T₁₁) were sampled for evaluating ileitis at days 7 and 22, and distribution and expression-levels of PAR-2, CGRP and c-Fos on day 22. TNBS-treated-goats exhibited apparent transmural-ileitis on day 7, microscopically low-grade ileitis on day 22 and VH at days 7–22. Goats of Sham-A, VH or EA group showed higher (P < 0.01) VH at days 7–22 than the Control-goats. EA-treated goats exhibited lower (P < 0.01) VH as compared with Sham-A or VH group. Immunoreactive-cells and expression-levels of spinal PAR-2, CGRP and c-Fos in the EA group were greater (P < 0.01) than those in the Control group, but less (P < 0.01) than those in Sham-A and VH groups on day 22. Downregulation of spinal PAR-2 and CGRP levels by EA attenuates the ileitis and resultant VH.

电针（EA）可缓解潜在的炎症性肠病的内脏超敏反应（VH）。但是，EA治疗回肠炎诱发的VH的机制尚不清楚。为了评估EA对回肠炎诱发的VH的影响并确认EA是否通过脊髓PAR-2激活和CGRP释放来减弱VH，山羊接受了向回肠注射2,4,6-三硝基苯磺酸（TNBS）溶液壁。将注射TNBS的山羊分为VH组，Sham针刺组（Sham-A）和EA组，而以生理盐水代替TNBS溶液处理的山羊作为对照组。EA组的山羊在7天的双Hou-San-Li穴位接受EA 0.5小时，此后每3天重复6次。Sham-A组的山羊用0的针插入。在上述穴位上放置5 h，无需任何手操作和电刺激。通过肌电图记录对VH的指标大肠扩张的内脏运动反应。回肠末端和胸脊髓（T₁₁）在第7和22天取样以评估回肠炎，而在第22天评估PAR-2，CGRP和c-Fos的分布和表达水平。TNBS处理的山羊在第7天表现出明显的透壁性回肠炎。在第22天出现严重回肠炎，在7-22天出现VH。Sham-A，VH或EA组 的山羊在7-22天时的VH高于对照组山羊（P <0.01）。 与Sham-A或VH组相比，经EA处理的山羊表现出较低的（P <0.01）VH。EA组的免疫反应细胞和脊髓PAR-2，CGRP和c-Fos的表达水平高于对照组（P  <0.01），但低于对照组（P 与第22天的Sham-A组和VH组相比，<0.01）EA降低脊髓PAR-2和CGRP的水平可减轻回肠炎和由此产生的VH。