Effects of Electroacupuncture at NP82 and SP15 on Bowel Motility in Healthy Subjects

NCT07496697 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: 473/HĐ-ĐHYD
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to investigate how a specific combination of electroacupuncture points, Tongbian (NP82) and Daheng (SP15), affects bowel movements in healthy volunteers. Constipation is a significant health issue, especially for post-stroke patients, and current treatments like laxatives often have unwanted side effects. The researchers want to determine if stimulating these two acupuncture points can objectively increase the frequency of bowel activity. Participants will undergo a three-stage procedure: a 30-minute period of baseline bowel sound recording, followed by 20 minutes of electroacupuncture stimulation at the specific points, and a final 30-minute recording period after the intervention. Throughout the study, an advanced digital stethoscope (3M™ Littmann® CORE) will be used to record bowel sounds objectively. This data will then be analyzed to measure any significant changes in bowel motility caused by the acupuncture.

Conditions

Gastrointestinal Motility; Healthy

Keywords

Electroacupuncture; Bowel Sounds; Tongbian (NP82); Daheng (SP15); Digital Stethoscope

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Bowel Sound Interval (SSI)

  SSI is the time interval between the end of one bowel sound event and the start of the next. Bowel sounds are recorded and quantified using the 3M™ Littmann® CORE Digital Stethoscope and analyzed with Stata 17.0 software to determine changes in bowel motility.

  Continuous recording across three phases: Baseline (30 minutes before intervention), During Intervention (20 minutes), and Post-intervention (30 minutes).

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Minimum SSI Ratio (SSIR)

  The total study duration is 80 minutes, consisting of: (1) Baseline phase: 30 minutes before intervention; (2) Intervention phase: 20 minutes during electroacupuncture; and (3) Post-intervention phase: 30 minutes after needle removal.

Study Arms (1)

Electroacupuncture Group

EXPERIMENTAL

This single group of 30 healthy volunteers will undergo a three-phase sequential protocol where each participant serves as their own control\[cite: 139, 140, 161\]. The procedure includes: (1) a 30-minute baseline bowel sound recording; (2) a 20-minute electroacupuncture session at acupoints NP82 and SP15 with simultaneous recording; and (3) a 30-minute post-intervention recording to evaluate sustained effects\[cite: 171, 172, 179, 181, 182\]. Bowel sounds are captured objectively using a 3M™ Littmann® CORE Digital Stethoscope.

Procedure: Electroacupuncture at NP82 (Tongbian) and SP15 (Daheng)

Interventions

Electroacupuncture at NP82 (Tongbian) and SP15 (Daheng) PROCEDURE

The intervention is performed by practitioners with at least 3 years of experience. Sterile acupuncture needles (0.30×40mm) are inserted vertically into the Tongbian (NP82 - located 3 cun lateral to the umbilicus) and Daheng (SP15 - located 4 cun lateral to the umbilicus) acupoints. Insertion depth ranges from 20 to 65 mm depending on the participant's body type, aiming to achieve the "De Qi" sensation (aching, heaviness, and tension). Electrical stimulation is applied using a Hwato SDZ-III device with a dense-disperse wave at a frequency of 10 Hz for 20 minutes. The current intensity is adjusted (0.1-1 mA) until a mild muscle vibration is visible without causing pain to the participant.

Also known as: EA at NP82 and SP15 points

Electroacupuncture Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy volunteers aged 18 years and older.
• No symptoms related to constipation after comprehensive evaluation based on Rome IV criteria.
• No gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, diarrhea, blood in stool, constipation, or bloating) in the 4 weeks prior to study participation.
• No use of medications that promote or inhibit bowel motility in the 4 weeks prior to participation (including prokinetics, laxatives, antispasmodics, or opioids).
• Fasting for at least 4 hours before the study session.
• No mental or intellectual disorders; capable of understanding the acupuncture and assessment procedures.
• Willingness to participate and signed informed consent form.

You may not qualify if:

• Participants with severe medical conditions (heart, brain, liver, kidney, hematological system, infectious diseases, cancer, or psychiatric disorders).
• Metabolic or functional disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), thyroid dysfunction, or glucose/lipid metabolism disorders.
• Use of bowel motility-altering medications within the 4 weeks prior to participation.
• Participation in other clinical trials within the last 2 months.
• Received acupuncture treatment within the last month.
• Skin ulcers, abscesses, or infections at the acupuncture sites.
• Known metal allergy or severe needle phobia.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City: lead

Study Sites (1)

Faculty of Traditional Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh, 72200, Vietnam

RECRUITING

Related Publications (6)

• Wang G, Wang M, Liu H, Zhao S, Liu L, Wang W. Changes in bowel sounds of inpatients undergoing general anesthesia. Biomed Eng Online. 2020 Jul 30;19(1):60. doi: 10.1186/s12938-020-00805-z.

  PMID: 32731903 RESULT

• Emoto T, Shono K, Abeyratne UR, Okahisa T, Yano H, Akutagawa M, Konaka S, Kinouchi Y. ARMA-based spectral bandwidth for evaluation of bowel motility by the analysis of bowel sounds. Physiol Meas. 2013 Aug;34(8):925-36. doi: 10.1088/0967-3334/34/8/925. Epub 2013 Jul 26.

  PMID: 23893043 RESULT

• Ong SS, Tang T, Xu L, Xu C, Li Q, Deng X, Shen P, Chen Y, Song Y, Lu H, Fang L. Research on the mechanism of core acupoints in electroacupuncture for functional constipation based on data mining and network acupuncture. Front Med (Lausanne). 2024 Dec 11;11:1482066. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1482066. eCollection 2024.

  PMID: 39722820 RESULT

• Lê QNL, Tú Vân. Từ Điển Huyệt Vị Châm Cứu (Tái Bản). Nhà Xuất Bản Thuận Hóa; 2016.

  RESULT

• Abbasi P, Mojalli M, Kianmehr M, Zamani S. Effect of acupressure on constipation in patients undergoing hemodialysis: A randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial. Avicenna J Phytomed. 2019 Jan-Feb;9(1):84-91.

  PMID: 30788281 RESULT

• Zhao X, Liu L, Diao Y, Ma C. Effectiveness of abdominal electroacupuncture therapy for poststroke constipation: a meta-analysis. Front Neurol. 2024 Nov 22;15:1480681. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1480681. eCollection 2024.

  PMID: 39650243 RESULT

Study Officials

• Minh Quan Le Hoang, MSc, MD

  University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Minh Quan Le Hoang, MSc, MD

CONTACT

+84792112077; lhminhquan@ump.edu.vn

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Lecturer at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

Model Details: This is a single-arm, pre-post interventional study where each participant serves as their own control. The protocol consists of three consecutive phases: (1) a 30-minute baseline bowel sound recording phase, (2) a 20-minute recording phase during electroacupuncture stimulation at acupoints NP82 and SP15, and (3) a 30-minute post-intervention recording phase\[cite: 171, 181, 182\]. Bowel motility changes are assessed by comparing quantitative acoustic data captured during these three sequential stages.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 22, 2026
• First Posted: March 27, 2026
• Study Start: April 30, 2026
• Primary Completion: June 21, 2026
• Study Completion: July 30, 2026
• Last Updated: June 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

VN (1)