[Effect of application of herbal medicine paste to "Tianshu" (ST25)on intestinal mobility and expression of vasoactive intestinal peptide and substance P in colonic myenteric plexus in rats with functional constipation].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupoint application at bilateral "Tianshu" (ST25) on intestinal mobility and immunoactivity of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and substance P (SP) in colonic myenteric plexus of rats with functional constipation (FC), so as to analyze its mechanisms underlying improving FC. METHODS: ) for 4 weeks. After the treatment, the rats were deprived of water for 12 hours, and then treated by gavage of 2 mL of activated carbon suspension, followed by recording the first black defecation time and the number of fecal particles and water content of feces within 6 h so as to assess the intestinal mobility. The immunoactivity and average surface density of VIP and SP positive granules in the colonic myenteric plexus were detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupoint application may improve the intestinal motility in FC rats, which may be asso-ciated with its effects in up-regulating the immunoactivity of VIP and SP in colonic myenteric plexus of the large intestine.