Electroacupuncture Reduces the Effects of Acute Noxious Stimulation on the Electrical Activity of Pain-Related Neurons in the Hippocampus of Control and Neuropathic Pain Rats

Abstract

To study the effects of acupuncture analgesia on the hippocampus, we observed the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) inhibitor on pain-excited neurons (PENs) and pain-inhibited neurons (PINs) in the hippocampal area CA1 of sham or chronic constrictive injury (CCI) rats. The animals were randomly divided into a control, a CCI, and a U0126 (MEK1/2 inhibitor) group. In all experiments, we briefly (10-second duration) stimulated the sciatic nerve electrically and recorded the firing rates of PENs and PINs. The results showed that in both sham and CCI rats brief sciatic nerve stimulation significantly increased the electrical activity of PENs and markedly decreased the electrical activity of PINs. These effects were significantly greater in CCI rats compared to sham rats. EA treatment reduced the effects of the noxious stimulus on PENs and PINs in both sham and CCI rats. The effects of EA treatment could be inhibited by U0126 in sham-operated rats. The results suggest that EA reduces effects of acute sciatic nerve stimulation on PENs and PINs in the CA1 region of the hippocampus of both sham and CCI rats and that the ERK (extracellular regulated kinase) signaling pathway is involved in the modulation of EA analgesia.

<p>Brain Metabolism in Rats with Neuropathic Pain Induced by Brachial Plexus Avulsion Injury and Treated via Electroacupuncture</p>

“…14,15 In previous studies, Wang et al suggested that electroacupuncture (EA) reduces the effects of electrical activity of pain-related neurons in the hippocampus of rats with neuropathic pain. 16 Using fMRI, Theysohn et al found that acupuncture could modulate brain activity under pain conditions in the cingulate gyrus, insula, primary somatosensory cortex, and prefrontal areas. 17 However, how EA affects brain metabolism following BPAI-induced pain is largely unknown.…”

Electroacupuncture effects on the P2X4R pathway in microglia regulating the excitability of neurons in the substantia gelatinosa region of rats with spinal nerve ligation

“…Electroacupuncture (EA) is used to treat neuropathic pain (NP) induced by peripheral nerve injury (PNI) ( 1 , 2 ). To the best of our knowledge, however, the mechanism has not yet been identified.…”

“…Whole-cell patch clamp techniques were used to investigate the variation in the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSC) in SNL rat spinal substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons. Studies have demonstrated that EA treatment at ‘Zusanli’ (ST-36, at the posterolateral aspect of the knee joint, ~5 mm below the humeral head) and ‘Kunlun’ (BL-60, ~10 mm above the prominence of the lateral malleolus of the hind limb) points can relieve neuropathic pain, but its specific mechanism has not yet been elucidated ( 1 , 2 ). The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential mechanism by which EA treatment at ‘Zusanli’ and ‘Kunlun’ points relieves NP via the action on P2X4R.…”

Sino-Austrian High-Tech Acupuncture Network: Annual Report 2017

“…In 2017, the Sino-Austrian High-Tech Acupuncture Network has grown very fast. In the following, milestones from the year 2017 are listed chronologically and at the end of the report recent literature from the network is cited [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ] (see also Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 , Figure 12 , Figure 13 , Figure 14 , Figure 15 , Figure 16 , Figure 17 , Figure 18 , Figure 19 , Figure 20 , Figure 21 , Figure 22 , Figure 23 , Figure 24 , Figure 25 , Figure 26 , Figure 27 , Figure 28 , Figure 29 , Figure 30 , Figure 31 , Figure 32 , Figure 33 and Figure 34 ):…”