Effects of electroacupuncture on corticotropin-releasing hormone in rats with chronic visceral hypersensitivity

Table 1 Average optical density of the positive target expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone in the colon tissue of the rats in each group

Group	n	Average optical density of the positive target expression of CRH
NG	8	0.3792 (0.3328-0.4272)
MG	8	0.5044 (0.4283-0.5498)a
EA	8	0.3743 (0.3524-0.4032)d
S-EA	8	0.3818 (0.3349-0.4256)c

^aP < 0.05 vs NG;

^cP < 0.05 vs MG;

^dP < 0.01 vs MG. CRH: Corticotropin-releasing hormone; NG: Normal group; MG: Model group; EA: Electroacupuncture group; S-EA: Sham EA group.

Table 2 Average optical density of the positive target expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone in the spinal cord and hypothalamus of the rats in each group

Group	n	Positive expression of CRH in the spinal cord (ng/L)	Positive expression of CRH in the hypothalamus (ng/L)
NG	8	104.8787 (97.3855-107.4352)	50.3548 (44.8451-62.7847)
MG	8	115.4573 (113.2975-116.6474)a	99.9861 (97.3855-102.3663)a
EA	8	107.0385 (106.5536-108.0523)b	63.8866 (54.0573-66.9280)b
S-EA	8	110.1239 (107.0826-112.9889)a	84.9556 (68.7351-100.6032)ac

^aP < 0.05 vs NG;

^bP < 0.01 vs MG;

^cP < 0.05 vs EA. NG: Normal group; MG: Model group; EA: Electroacupuncture group; S-EA: Sham EA group.

Table 3 mRNA expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone in the colon, spinal cord, and hypothalamus of the rats in each group

Group	n	Colon	Spinal cord	Hypothalamus
NG	8	0.4656 ± 0.2948	0.4684 (0.3211-0.6661)	0.4174 (0.3540-0.5941)
MG	8	1.1474 ± 0.2220a	3.0358 (1.8806-3.5932)a	5.1351 (4.4917-5.2711)a
EA	8	0.6667 ± 0.1415d	0.4748 (0.2972-1.0029)a	0.2892 (0.2181-0.3513)a
S-EA	8	0.9861 ± 0.5395	2.0223 (1.4990-2.9099)a	3.4474 (3.3225-3.6267)ade

^aP < 0.05 vs NG; ^cP < 0.05,

^dP < 0.01 vs MG;

^eP < 0.05 vs EA. NG: Normal group; MG: Model group; EA: Electroacupuncture group; S-EA: Sham EA group.