OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TAES) on plasma ET, CGRP and serum IL-6, S100beta during craniotomy. METHODS: Fifty patients scheduled for neurosurgery were randomly divided into TAES group (n=25) and control group (n=25). TAES (2/100 Hz, 8-12 mA) of bilateral Hegu (LI 4)-Quchi (LI 11), Zusanli (ST 36)-Sanyinjiao (SP 6) was administrated for patients of TAES group starting 30 min before anesthesia till the end of the operation. Anesthesia of the patients was maintained with sevoflurane inhalation and intermittent intravenous injection of boluses of sulfenany and vecurnium bromide. Jugular venous blood samples were taken at preanesthesia (T0), 1 hour after craniotomy (T1), closure complete (T2), 24 hours (T3) and 48 hours (T4) after operation respectively for detecting contents of plasma endothelin (ET), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and serum interleukin (IL)-6, S100beta with radioimmunoassay and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay separately. RESULTS: Compared with control group, plasma ET at T2, serum IL-6 at T1 S100beta at T1 and T4 in TAES group all decreased significantly (P < 0.01, 0.05), while serum IL-6 at T3 increased remarkably (P < 0.05). It suggests that after TAES, CGRP/ET was improved, favoring cerebral microcirculation to reduce surgery-induced cerebral injury. There were no significant differences between two groups at different time courses in plasma CGRP concentrations (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: TAES can regulate plasma CGRP/ET and serum IL-6, lower serum S100beta level, which may contribute to its effect in relieving craniotomy-induced brain injury.