AbstractAIM: To investigate the effect of electroacupunctureon corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in the colon,spinal cord, and hypothalamus of rats with chronicvisceral hypersensitivity.METHODS: A rat model of chronic visceral hypersensitivitywas generated according to the internationallyaccepted method of colorectal balloon dilatation. Inthe 7th week after the procedure, rats were randomlydivided into a model group (MG), electroacupuncturegroup (EA), and sham electroacupuncture group (S-EA).After treatment, the abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR)score was used to assess the behavioral response ofvisceral hyperalgesia. Immunohistochemistry (EnVisionmethod), ELISA, and fluorescence quantitative PCRmethods were applied to detect the expression ofCRH protein and mRNA in the colon, spinal cord, andhypothalamus.RESULTS: The sensitivity of the rats to the colorectaldistension stimulus applied at different strengths (20-80 mmHg) increased with increasing stimulusstrength, resulting in increasing AWR scores in eachgroup. Compared with NG, the AWR score of MG wassignificantly increased (P 〈 0.01). After conducting EA,the AWR scores of the rats were decreased comparedwith MG rats. The relative expression of CRH mRNAin the colon, spinal cord, and hypothalamus of MGrats was significantly increased compared with NGrats (P 〈 0.01). CRH mRNA in the colon and spinalcord of EA and S-EA rats was decreased to varyingdegrees (P 〉 0.05) compared with normal rats (NG).However, the decrease in EA compared with MG ratswas statistically significant (P 〈 0.01). The averageoptical density of CRH expression in the colon of theMG rats was significantly enhanced compared with NG(P 〈 0.05), while the average optical density of CRHexpression in the EA and S-EA rats was significantlydecreased compared with MG rats (P 〈 0.01, P 〈0.05, respectively). Compared with MG rats, theCRH concentration in the spinal cord of EA rats wassignificantly reduced (P 〈 0.01), but t