Objective  To explore the effects of electroacupuncture preconditioning combined with general anesthesia on postoperative stress response, intestinal mucosal function and inflammatory factor levels in patients undergoing radical gastrectomy.

  Methods  Ninety-six patients undergoing radical gastrectomy were randomly divided into observation group and control group, with 48 cases in each group. All patients in two groups received total intravenous anesthesia, and the observation group added stimulation in the Neima point and Zusanli by electroacupuncture. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores, heart rate, mean arterial pressure (MAP), cortisol (Cor), norepinephrine (NE), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), diamine oxidase (DAO) and D-lactate levels before acupuncture (T₀) and 2, 12, 24, 48 hours after operation (T₁, T₂, T₃ and T₄) were recorded between the two groups.

  Results   The total incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). At T₀, there were no significant differences in VAS, heart rate, MAP, Cor, NE, ACTH, CRP, IL-6, TNF-α, LPS, DAO and D-lactic acid levels between the two groups (P > 0.05); compared with T₀, the levels of the above indexes in the two groups were significantly increased during T₁ to T₄, and the levels of the above indexes in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05).

  Conclusion   Electroacupuncture pretreatment combined with general anesthesia can significantly improve the postoperative stress response and inflammatory response of patients undergoing radical gastrectomy, and regulate the function of intestinal mucosa.