5-羟色胺(以下简称5-HT)是体内重要的生物胺类

分别由中枢神经系统的许多神经元及消化道粘膜的嗜银细胞产生

其作用极为广泛

在脑内被视为神经介质之一

在外周对胃肠活动

血管通透性及血液凝固起着重要作用

并被视为致痛物质。针刺可以抑制人胃粘膜嗜银细胞释放5-HT

改变病人血中游离5-HT的含量以及抑制血小板释放5-HT。为进一步了解针刺对致Specimens of gastric mucosa removed from 10 dogs subjected to subtotal gastrectomy (8 under acupuncture anesthesia and 2 under drug anesthesia) were observed under electronmicroscope. 6 types of APUD cells in the gas- tric mucosa were found. The immature endocrine cells showed no correla- tion with the effectiveness of acupuncture anesthesia

whereas the propor- tions of EC cells and ECL cells were correlated with the effectiveness of acupuncture anesthesia. There were more EC cells and less ECL cells in cases of grade I

but it was the opposite in cases of grade Ⅲ. The ECL cells might be considered as the liberation type of EC cells. From this

we consider that the primary effect of acupuncture anesthe- sia lies in inhibiting the 5-HT liberation of APUD cells in gastric mucosa

but the differentiation and the maturation processes of such cells might not be influenced greatly.