Effect of Acupoint Catgut Embedding at Yanglingquan (GB34) on the Bile Metabolism of Patients with Choledocholithiasis after Surgery.

Importance: Choledocholithiasis, or bile duct gallstones, is effectively treated with surgery, which does not prevent relapse. A common adjuvant therapy is the stimulation of the Yanglingquan point (GB34). Acupoint catgut embedding (ACE), an acupoint stimulation therapy, may be a better treatment for choledocholithiasis.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of ACE in stimulating GB34 on bile metabolism and its possible mechanism via metabonomics.

Methods: In this study, we used ultrahigh performance liquid chromatographyquadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) to analyze the changes in bile metabolites, metabolic pathways, and liver function indicators in 16 patients with choledocholithiasis before and after ACE stimulation.

Results: We identified 10 metabolites that exhibited significant differences in the bile before and after ACE, six of which significantly increased and four that significantly decreased. Moreover, six liver function indicators showed a downward trend. We identified related metabolic pathways as glycerophospholipid metabolism, steroid biosynthesis, and the citrate cycle (TCA cycle).

Conclusions and relevance: This study shows that ACE stimulation of GB34 can effectively help treat choledocholithiasis, which may be clinically applicable to ACE.