Acupuncture has a good curative effect in the treatment of gastrointestinal system diseases

such as functional dyspepsia

ulcerative colitis

and constipation.The central nuclei which are involved in the mechanism of acupuncture in regulating the gastrointestinal system have become a research hotspot in recent years.In the present paper

the authors summarized the effect of acupuncture and the central nervous system on gastrointestinal function regulation.It was found that the regulation of gastrointestinal function by acupuncture involved many brain regions such as the amygdala

paraventricular nucleus

locus coeruleus

raphe nucleus

and dorsal nucleus of the vagus nerve.Of these

the limbic brain region had the closest relation.However

the included studies were animal experiments

which involved less research on nuclear group interactions.The role of central nuclei in the regulation of gastrointestinal function by acupuncture is unclear.Thus

the introduction of more advanced brain imaging techniques to observe brain dysfunction of central nuclei and the relativity of acupuncture in regulating gastrointestinal function will be the focus in the future study

which will contribute to determining the effective mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion.