Figure 4.
The reduction in the serum TNF levels after electroacupuncture in a rat model of sepsis is mediated through the vagus nerve and catecholamine production. Groups of six Wistar male rats with subdiaphragmatic vagotomy were subjected to experimental sepsis through cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or only laparotomy without CLP (SHAM). Rats with CLP were subsequently treated with electroacupuncture at the ST36 acupoint or SHAM acupuncture (CLP+SHAM-EA), with an intensity of 40 mA, a frequency of 30 Hz, and a 50 μs pulse width for 20 minutes (CLP+ST36). The serum TNF levels were analyzed at 2 hrs after surgery using ELISA (a). The data are expressed as the means ± SD of 6 rats per group. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and the Bonferroni test for multiple comparisons. Results showing no significant differences are indicated with a numeric symbol. The percentage survival at 72 hours after surgery is shown (b). The data are representative of three independent experiments.