脐针治疗腹泻型肠易激综合征疗效及对脑肠肽的影响

　　Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is associated with brain-gut axis disorder. Umbilicus acupuncture has the effect of relieving cramps and treating diarrhea. We hypothesized that diarrhea-type irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) has a disorderd secretion of brain-gut peptides, and umbilicus acupuncture can improve the symptoms of IBS-D patients by regulating brain-gut peptide secretion.

　　To investigate the efficacy of umbilical acupuncture in patients with IBS-D and its effect on serum brain-gut peptides.

　　Sixty patients who met the Rome IV diagnostic criteria for IBS-D were randomly divided into two groups in a single-blined manner: 30 patients who underwent umbilical acupuncture were included in an acupuncture group and 30 patients who were treated with bacillus licheniformin capsules were included in a probiotic group. The course of treatment was 4 weeks. Thirty healthy volunteers served as baseline controls. The changes of clinical symptom scores, SF-36 scale scores, Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) scores, serum brain-gut peptides [5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP), nitric oxide (NO), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)] after treatment were recorded. Adverse reactions were also recorded.

　　The clinical symptom scores after treatment in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (P = 0.000). SF-36 scores of the two groups were significantly higher, while HAMD and HAMA scores were signficantly lower than those before treatment (P = 0.000). After treatment, the levels of 5-HT, CGRP, SP, NO, and VIP in the two groups decreased significantly (P < 0.0001). No adverse reactions occurred in either group.

　　Umbilical acupuncture can significantly improve the clinical symptoms and mental state of patients with IBS-D via mechanisms that may be related to regulating the secretion of 5-HT, CGRP, SP, NO, and VIP. Its therapeutic effect is equal to that of probiotics.