功能性肠病是心理-社会因素和胃肠道生理紊乱通过脑-肠轴的相互作用而产生的胃肠疾病。针刺疗法对治疗这种疾病有很好的效果，然而针刺调节功能性肠病的机理尚未被完全阐明。促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子（CRF）信号通路介导了应激引起的胃肠道反应，在功能性肠病的发生发展中发挥着重要作用。针刺能够通过干预自主神经活动调节胃肠运动功能，激活的CRF信号通过自主神经通路诱导胃肠运动紊乱，这提示针刺对应激引起的胃肠运动功能紊乱的调节作用可能是通过干预CRF信号通路实现的。本项目关注于针刺对功能性肠病模型动物和CRF受体敲除动物胃肠运动失调的影响，通过观察针刺干预前后模型动物中枢和外周组织CRF及其受体的表达变化，以及模型动物、CRF受体敲除动物胃肠功能变化，结合自主神经活动对针刺调节CRF信号及胃肠运动的影响，从整体胃肠功能学观测、在体电生理学记录和离体分子生物学检测等不同层面探讨针刺对功能性肠病的作用机制。

Functional bowel disorders (FBD) is a kind of stress induced gastrointestinal(GI) disease, which is considered to be resulted from psychological-social factors and physical abnormality of GI system through the brain-gut interactions. It is well known that acupuncture has advantages in treating FBD, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, and diarrhea. However, the modulatory mechanism of acupuncture on gastric and colonic motor disorders is still unclear. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling pathway mediates stress-related alterations of gastric and colonic motor function and is related to the development of FBD. The action of CRF to affect GI tract is mediated by the autonomic nervous system, the same pathway through which acupuncture modulates the GI motility. It suggests that the modulatory effect of acupuncture on stress-induced GI disorders is related to the intervention of acupuncture on CRF signaling pathway. In this project, we will focus on the effects of acupuncture on GI tract disorders in FBD model and CRF receptor knockout animals, and the altering expressions of central and peripheral CRF and its receptors, as well as the intervention of autonomic nervous system, in order to unravel the mechanism of acupuncture in modulating FBD via observing GI motor functions, recording electrophysiological signals, and testing biochemical indicators.