How electroacupuncture modulates gastric function

 Neural mechanisms underlying electroacupuncture (EA) mediated visceral functions is not well known.

The researchers establish that somatic electroacupuncture potentiates gastric motility in a manner critically dependent on both stimulation intensity and needle insertion depth while delineating the underlying neuroanatomical basis comprising somatosensory primary afferents and vagal motor efferents.

Mechanistically, the authors demonstrate that EA driven somatosensory-vagal-gastric reflex involves activation of a subset of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1)⁺ nociceptors marked which in turn activates a subtype of gastro-projecting Oxtr⁺ fibers originating from the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV).

They also demonstrate that TRPV1⁺ fiber or Oxtr⁺ DMV neuronal genetic ablation attenuates EA-induced gastric reflexes and optogenetic activation of these neurons drives gastric motility. 

https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(25)00504-5

https://sciencemission.com/electroacupuncture-in-modulating-gastric-function