Demonstrated with a small cohort of tumor specimens that high GlyCer levels were associated with chemotherapy failure. The high level of GlyCer in chordoma and the resulting low level of ceramides may cause intrinsic resistance to chemotherapy and may be anti-apoptotic and should be examined in more detail. Summarizing, the use of HPF instead of chemical fixation to characterize MUG-Chor1 chordoma cells by means of ultrastructure resulted in a significant improvement of morphological preservation. This, in turn, yielded ultrastructural details never before seen in chordoma cells; in particular a network of communicating vacuoles including defined structures at the sites of communication as well as a close spatial arrangement of ER and mitochondria, known as MAM complex. This finding might contribute to the drug resistance of chordoma cells as an accumulation of GlyCer was also reported to be responsible for drug resistance in other tumor entities. Whereas the significance of the communicating network of vacuoles is not yet clear, both the sensibility towards the AChR as well as the increased GlyCer represent promising links to new chordoma treatment. It is well known that myogenic, neuronal and hormonal factors are very important to normal gastric motility. However, normal gastric motility ultimately depends on the depolarization and repolarization of gastric smooth muscles, causing contractions and relaxations of the muscle while interstitial cells of Cajal, extensively distributed in the muscular wall of the gastrointestinal tract, plays an important role as the pacemaker to generate slow waves spontaneously. Gastric slow waves can be recorded internally via electrodes implanted on gastric serosa or noninvasively via abdominal surface electrodes, a method called Electrogastrography. Gastric dysrhythmias have been associated with abnormal gastric emptying abnormal gastric motility and unexplained nausea and vomiting. Rectal distention, a physical stimulation, has been proven as a good way to induce gastric hypomotility, and delayed gastric emptying with concurrent gastric dysrhythmias in both animals and humans. Thus RD serves as an excellent nonpharmacological model of gastric dysrhythmias. Auricular acupuncture, a diagnostic and treatment system derived from ancient China, Egypt and Greece, is now widely used in clinic through stimulation of points on the auricles. It has been reported that a number of functional gastrointestinal diseases, such as functional dyspepsia and constipation, might be treated with AA. AA could effectively decrease the incidence and degree of cisplatin-induced delayed nausea and vomiting. The acid production could be suppressed in gastric body and alkalinizing function of the antrum could be improved as well when AA therapy was combined with body GDC-0879 acupuncture therapy. Gastric peristalsis time could be prolonged with acupressure at auricular points. It is well known that gastric motility is regulated by certain gut hormones and neurotransmitters through vagal afferents. The vagus nerves play a crucial role in regulating gastric motility. Activation of vagal nerves is known to enhance gastric motility.