(1) Reproduction method: Adult rats were intramuscularly injected with reserpine at a dose of 0.2mg/kg body weight daily for three consecutive days; Adult rabbits were intramuscularly injected with reserpine at a dose of 0.3mg/kg body weight for three consecutive days. Observe the movement and electrical changes of the small intestine in animals, measure the content of acetylcholine in the jejunum and brain tissue, and observe the ultrastructural changes of the small intestinal muscular plexus.
(2) Model characteristics: After 2-3 hours of injection of reserpine, rats showed increased bowel movements, soft and loose stools, and anal contamination. After 20 hours of injection of reserpine, all rabbits began to experience soft stools, accompanied by a decrease in appetite. After multiple injections, the animals exhibited symptoms of exhaustion such as weight loss, curling up, reduced free movement, fluffiness, squinting, weight loss, and reduced appetite. The gastrointestinal propulsion movement of rats was significantly accelerated; The contraction of the small intestine in rabbits is enhanced, and atropine can weaken this enhanced effect. The electrical activity of small intestinal smooth muscle in model animals showed a significant increase in fast wave electrical activity, and atropine weakened this strengthening effect. There is a tendency to increase acetylcholine (Ach) in the jejunum and brain tissues of rats. The ultrastructure of the intermuscular nerve plexus in the small intestine of the model animal shows that there are relatively complete intermuscular ganglia and interconnected nerve bundles between the longitudinal and circular muscles of the small intestine. The number of exposed Ach terminals increases, and the number of clear vesicles in the terminals is significantly increased and dense.
(3) Comparative medicine produces clinical manifestations similar to spleen deficiency based on adverse reactions of Western medicine, and experimental studies have included reserpine animal models. Reserpine can deplete the norepinephrine in animals, reduce the content of monoamines in the brain or peripheral nerves, reduce the function of sympathetic adrenergic nerves, and make parasympathetic function relatively hyperactive, resulting in symptoms similar to clinical spleen deficiency syndrome such as weight loss, diarrhea, and poor cold resistance.