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Although many studies have indicated that electroacupuncture (EA) provides a neuroprotective effect against ischemic brain damage, the protective mechanism is not fully understood. Glutamate release and hippocampal blood flow in ischemia with EA were investigated to elucidate the neuroprotective mechanism of EA. Transient 5-minute ischemia was induced in gerbils. EA (7 Hz, 6 mA, for 30 minutes) delivered to the points called Fengfu (GV16) and Shendao (GV11) was administered pre-, intra- or post-ischemia. The procedure rescued hippocampal neurons from ischemic insult and significantly attenuated both ischemia-induced glutamate release and transient increase of cerebral blood flow (CBF) during reperfusion (hyperemia). Hyperemia as well as excessive glutamate after ischemia are regarded as important factors in brain damage as they lead to reperfusion injury. These results suggest that EA protects neurons by suppressing both glutamate release and reperfusion injury after ischemia.

Spasticity is a frequently observed motor impairment that develops after stroke. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) and moxibustion (Mox) on spasticity due to stroke. The subjects consisted of 35 stroke patients with elbow spasticity whose mean duration of stroke was 2.97 months. Fifteen patients were randomized to the EA group, ten to Mox, and ten to control. Every other day, 30 minutes of electrical stimulation with a frequency of 50 Hz was given through four needles on the Ch'ü-Ch'ih-San-Li (LI-11-LI-10) and Wai-Kuan-Ho-Ku (TB-5-LI-4) points of the paretic side. Direct Mox was applied to Ch'ü-Ch'ih (LI-11), San-Li (LI-10), Wai-Kuan (TB-5) and Ho-Ku (LI-4) points three times a day every other day. The control group was given only the routine acupuncture therapy for stroke and range of motion (ROM) exercise, which were also applied to the EA and Mox groups. The efficacy of treatment was measured before, immediately, 1 hour, 3 hours, 1 day, 5 days, 10 days and 15 days after the start of treatment using a modified Ashworth scale (MAS). In the EA group, spasticity was significantly reduced immediately, 1 hour and 3 hours after treatment (p < 0.05). Reductions were significant on the 5th day and thereafter (p < 0.05). In the Mox group, there was no significant change in the MAS scores after the first treatment. In the Mox and control group, there was no significant change in MAS scores. This study suggests that EA can temporarily reduce spasticity due to stroke, and if applied repeatedly it can maintain reduced spasticity.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the distribution of the analgesic area when different intensities of stimulation were applied to homotopic and heterotopic acupoints. The experiments were performed on volunteers; the left sural nerve was stimulated by a volley of eight rectangular pulses delivered at a frequency of 400 Hz. Electromyographic reflex responses (EMGs) were recorded from the ipsi-lateral biceps femoris muscle. Electroacupuncture stimuli were given on the skin overlying the Zusanli point (St 36), and the strengths chosen were times of the threshold eliciting a nociceptive reflex (T_RIII) response (0.6, 0.8, 1.0, T_RIII and T_supra-RIII, respectively). The effects of homotopic and heterotopic stimuli applied to St 36 on the pain sensation and the R_III reflex elicited by stimulation of the left sural nerve were observed to explore the pain-relief and R_III reflex-inhibition produced by stimulation of the St 36 point with different intensities. Both the nociceptive reflex and painful sensation evoked by stimulating the sural nerve were similarly inhibited by electroacupuncture at less than T_RIII applied to the ipsi-lateral acupoint. In other words, acupuncture with an innocuous intensity can produce homotopic pain-alleviating effects and reflex suppression. With contra-lateral electroacupuncture at the St 36 acupoint, innocuous intensities cannot produce heterotopic pain-relieving effects; these inhibitions were only observed at electroacupuncture intensities similar to the T_RIII threshold. These results suggest that local acupuncture-induced analgesia is effective with activation of large afferent fibers, whereas heterotopic acupuncture-induced analgesia is only effective with intensities strong enough to excite small afferent fibers. Local analgesic effects of acupoint stimulation involve segmental inhibition, whereas systemic analgesic effects of acupoint stimulation are involved in contra-lateral effects. The latter may recruit the diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) system. The specific function of an acupoint is determined by the anatomical relationship between the disease focus and the segmental location of the acupoint.

It has been reported by Stein et al. that the immune system and peripheral opioid receptors are involved in the control of pain accompanying inflammation. Electroacupuncture (EA) is used to relieve various kinds of pain. However, little is known about the effect of electroacupuncture analgesia (EAA) during hyperalgesia elicited by inflammation. The aim of the present study was to compare (1) the individual variation of EAA, (2) the durability of EAA, and (3) the effect of naloxone on EAA between normal rats and rats subjected to acute inflammatory pain. Carrageenan was subcutaneously administered by intraplantar (i.pl.) injection of the left hind paw to induce a nociceptive response. Nociceptive thresholds were measured using the paw pressure threshold (PPT). Rats received EA at 3 Hz in the left anterior tibial muscles for 1 hour after carrageenan injection. Naloxone was administered by intraperitoneal (i.p.) or i.pl. injection just before EA. EAA was elicited in 15 of 29 normal rats. These rats were divided into responders and non-responders. EAA in the responder group was almost completely antagonized by i.p. injection of naloxone. In contrast, in all the rats with carrageenan-induced inflammation, EAA was elicited, lasted for at least 24 hours after carrageenan injection, and was dose-dependently antagonized by i.pl. injection, but not significantly by i.p. injection of naloxone. It seems likely that the EAA in the rats with carrageenan-induced inflammation differs from that in normal rats, and these findings suggest that peripheral opioid receptors are involved in EAA during inflammatory conditions.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of electrical stimulation on activator protein-1 (AP-1) in recombinant liver cells. In order to elucidate the molecular effects of electrical stimulation on cells, AP-1 expression was detected by a luciferase assay. The parameters used were taken from clinical electroacupuncture (EA) therapy as follows: biphasic rectangular symmetrical pulses (frequency: 2, 10 and 100 Hz; pulse width: 50, 80, 130 and 250 μsec; intensity: 1, 2, 5 and 10 mA; time: 5, 10, 20 and 30 minutes). S (10% fetal bovine serum in medium), SF (serum free medium) and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) treatment represented the experimental, negative and positive groups, respectively. We found that electrical stimulation with 10 Hz, a pulse width of 130 μsec, and a duration of 30 minutes gave a significant increase in AP-1 activity. In contrast, the intensity of the stimulation had no significant effect on AP-1 activity. In conclusion, our data suggest that electrical stimulation with an appropriate frequency, duration and pulse width could cause an increase in AP-1 activity in cells.

To establish the proper analgesic method by electroacupuncture (EA) for bovine surgery, the analgesic effect of dorsal and lumbar acupoints, in addition to the combination with dorsal and lumbar acupoints, were investigated in the present study. Four Korean native cattle (two males and two females) and 24 Holstein-Friesian cattle (all females) were used. The experimental animals were divided into four groups according to used acupoints: dorsal acupoint group (Tian Ping [GV-20] and Bai Hui [GV-5]: 7 heads), lumbar acupoint group (Yap Pang 1 [BL-21], Yao Pang 2 [BL-23], Yao Pang 3 [BL-24] and Yao Pang 4 [BL-25]; 5 heads), dorsal-lumbar acupoint group (Yao Pang 1 [BL-21], Yao Pang 2 [BL-23], Yao Pang 3 [BL-24] and Bai Hui [GV-5]; 8 heads) and control group (non-acupoints, the last intercostals space and the femoral area; 3 heads). The acupoints were stimulated with currents of 2–6 V (30 Hz) in dorsal acupoint group, 0.5–2.0 V (30 Hz) in lumbar acupoint group and 0.3–2.5 V (30 Hz) in dorsal-lumbar acupoint group. Recumbency time was 10 seconds to 1 minute (except one case) and induction time of analgesia was approximately 1 to 6 minutes in dorsal acupoint group. Analgesic effect was systemic, including the extremities in dorsal acupoint group. During the EA, the consciousness was evident and blepharo-reaction was still present under EA in dorsal acupoint group. During the surgery, grades of analgesic effect were 6 excellent (6/7, 87.5%) and 1 good (1/7, 14.3%). In addition, induction time for analgesia was about 10 minutes in both lumbar and dorsal-lumbar acupoint groups. Analgesic areas were found in abdominal areas from the last intercostal spaces to the femoral areas, except lower abdomen in lumbar and lumbar-dorsal acupoint groups. The consciousness was evident and standing position was maintained during EA stimulation in contrast to that of dorsal excellent (1/5, 20.0%), 3 good (3/5, 60.0%) and 1 poor (1/5, 20.0%) in the lumbar acupoint group. Additionally, grades of analgesic effect were 4 excellent (4/8, 50.0%), 3 good (3/8, 37.5%) and 1 poor (1/8, 12.5%). On the other hand, pain was present and analgesia was not accomplished under EA stimulation in control group. In conclusion, analgesia by EA was effective with decreasing order of dorsal acupoint > dorsal-lumbar acupoint > lumbar acupoint among groups. It was considered that dorsal acupoint group might be useful for operation with recumbent position, and lumbar and dorsal-lumbar acupoint groups might be proper for operation with standing position.

Electroacupuncture (EA) is used to relieve various kinds of pain. However, the mechanistic basis of electroacupuncture analgesia (EAA) in inflammatory pain remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated whether endogenous peripheral corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) or interleukin-1β (IL-1) participated in EAA during hyperalgesia elicited by carrageenan-induced inflammation. Carrageenan was subcutaneously administered by intraplantar (i.pl.) injection of the left hind paw to induce inflammation. Nociceptive thresholds were measured using the paw pressure threshold (PPT) (Randall Sellito Test). Rats received 3 Hz EA in the left anterior tibial muscles for 1 hour after carrageenan injection. The selective CRF antagonist, α-helical CRF, or the recombinant IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-1ra, was administered by i.pl. injection of the inflamed paw or by intravenous (i.v.) injection 1 hour before EA. PPT decreased significantly 3 hours after carrageenan injection. This decrease persisted at least 24 hours after carrageenan injection. EA resulted in significant increases of PPT, moreover, PPT elevations lasted 24 hours after carrageenan injection. By contrast, PPT elevations produced by EA were dose-dependently antagonized by local i.pl. injection of α-helical CRF or IL-1ra. This PPT elevation was not influenced by i.v. injection of α-helical CRF or IL-1ra. These findings suggest that peripheral CRF or IL-1 participate in EAA during hyperalgesia. The release of CRF or IL-1 elicited by EA may trigger the release of opioid peptides within inflamed tissue which may activate peripheral opioid receptors and inhibit the pain.

We have previously shown that electroacupuncture (EA) at Shaohai and Neiguan (HT₃-PC₆) points significantly attenuated stress-induced peripheral responses, including increases in blood pressure, heart rate and plasma catecholamines. In this study, we examined the central effect of EA on the expression of c-fos, one of the immediate-early genes in the brain of rats subjected to immobilization stress. Immobilization stress (180 minutes) preferentially produced a significant increase in Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) in stress-relevant regions including the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN), arcuate nucleus (ARN), supraoptic nucleus (SON), suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), medial amygdaloid nucleus (AMe), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), hippocampus, lateral septum (LS), nucleus accumbens, and the locus coeruleus (LC). EA (3 Hz, 0.2 ms rectangular pulses, 20 mA) at HT₃-PC₆ on the heart and pericardium channels for 30 minutes during stress, significantly attenuated stress-induced FLI in the parvocellular PVN, SON, SCN, AMe, LS and the LC. However, EA stimulations at HT₃-PC₆ had no effect on FLI in the magnocelluar PVN, ARN, BST or the hippocampus. EA stimulation at HT₃-PC₆ had a greater inhibitory effect on stress-induced FLI than that at TE₅-LI₁₁, the triple energizer and large intestine meridian, or non-acupoints. These results demonstrated that EA attenuated stress-induced c-fos expression in brain areas. These results suggest that decreased c-fos expression in hypothalamic and LC neurons, among stress-related areas, may reflect the integrative action of acupuncture in stress response.

The use of somato-visceral regulation has been proposed as a treatment for a wide range of diseases. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that through somato-visceral regulation, ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury to the myocardium can be avoided by electroacupuncture (EA) on PC6 (Neiguan).

Electroacupuncture on PC6 (Neiguan) was brought about by the application of metal needles over the bilateral median nerve at a point 1.5 cm proximal to the palm crease in male Spraque-Dawley rats. The animals were randomized into two groups: (1) prevention group with preconditioning by the application of EA on PC6 (n=13); and (2) treatment group with EA on PC6 during I/R injury (n=10). The protection against myocardial injury was blocked by different mechanisms: (1) severing of the bilateral median nerve (n=10), (2) bilateral vagotomy (n=10), and (3) intravenous naloxone injection (n=10). The hemodynamic parameters (mean artery pressure and heart rate), duration of arrhythmia, mortality rate and cardiac enzymes were evaluated in these groups. The results showed that there were significant reductions in cardiac enzymes, the duration of arrhythmia and mortality rate in rats that were either preconditioned or treated with EA on PC6, compared with those that did not undergo EA on PC6 (P<0.05). The cardioprotective effects were blocked by different procedures (P>0.05).

We conclude that EA on bilateral PC6 (Neiguan) prevents and attenuates I/R injury to the heart, and that this approach may provide an applicable and preventative alternative for patients with ischemic heart disease.

Acupuncture is known to influence autonomic nervous activity. Acupuncture on Zusanli points has been shown to enhance the regularity of gastric myoelectrical activity and accelerate gastric emptying, partly through the vagal pathway, in dogs. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether atropine-induced autonomic nervous alteration, measured by heart rate variability (HRV), could be amended by electroacupuncture on Zusanli points. HRV measurements were recorded in 15 healthy volunteers before, during and after electroacupuncture. Each subject was studied for three sessions in a randomized sequence, which included electroacupuncture on the Zusanli (St 36) points with or without premedication of atropine and placebo stimulation on a non-acupoint. The analysis of low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF) and LF/HF ratios were compared between different sessions. Serum levels of gastrin, motilin and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) levels were also measured. There was an increase in the LF/HF ratio (indicating increased sympathetic activity) during the post-acupuncture period with 2 Hz of electrical stimulation on the Zusanli acupoints. When IV atropine was used immediately before the electroacupuncture, there was a decrease in the LF power and HF power during the acupuncture and post-acupuncture periods. In addition, there was a significant increase in the LF/HF ratio during the acupuncture and post-acupuncture periods. There was a significant decrease in serum PP in the post-acupuncture period after premedication with IV atropine. In conclusion, atropine-induced HRV change might be mediated via the vagal pathway. However, atropine-induced HRV alteration is not amended by electroacupuncture on Zusanli points.

Our purpose in this study was to investigate the effect of acupuncture therapy on body weight and on levels of the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in obese women. Fifty-five women were studied in three groups as follows: (1) control group (n = 12; mean age = 43.3 ± 4.3, and mean body mass index {BMI} = 32.2 ± 3.4); (2) electroacupuncture (EA) (n = 22; mean age = 39.8 ± 5.3, and BMI = 34.8 ± 3.3); and (3) diet restriction (n = 21; mean age = 42.7 ± 3.9, and BMI = 34.9 ± 3.3). EA was performed using the ear points, Sanjiao (Hungry) and Shen Men (Stomach), and the body points, LI 4, LI 11, St 25, St 36, St 44 and Liv 3, once daily, for 30 minutes, for 20 days, whereas patients on diet restriction had a 1425 Kcal diet program, that consisted of 1425 Kcal daily for 20 days. There was a 4.8% weight reduction in patients with EA application, whereas patients on diet restriction had a 2.5% weight reduction. There were significant decreases in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in EA and diet groups compared with the control group (p < 0.05 in both cases). Furthermore, there was a decrease in LDL levels in the EA group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). No significant changes could be found in HDL levels among the three groups. Our results suggest that EA application in obese women may decrease the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL cholesterol levels by increasing the serum beta endorphin level. This lipolytic effect of EA may also reduce the morbidity of obesity by mobilizing the energy stores that result in weight reduction.

Sciatic nerves of 15 rabbits were crushed by Halsted straight mosquito hemostat with 8-11 Newton force for 60 seconds on a point 5 mm above the knee joint, and then the rabbits were equally divided into three groups. The acupuncture group was treated by electroacupuncture on Huan Tiao and Wei Zhong points (25 minutes/day) for 7 days. The medicine group was treated with intramuscular administration of dicofenac sodium (15 mg) daily for 7 days. The control group was not treated. After treatment, the distal parts of crushed nerve were examined under light microscope, the densities of normal myelinated fibers in 0.126 mm² were counted, and the diameters of 20 normal myelinated fibers were measured for each animal. The results showed that the mean densities were 176.2 ± 5.953 in the acupuncture group, 118.2 ± 10.878 in the medicine group and 101.4 ± 8.548 in the control group. The mean values were significantly different between the acupuncture and medicine groups (p < 0.01) and highly significant difference between the acupuncture and control groups (p < 0.001); but there was no significant difference between the medicine and control groups (p > 0.05). There are more small myelinated fibers (0–9 μm) in the acupuncture group than in the medicine and control groups (p = 0.0028). The results revealed and confirmed that acupuncture promotes nerve regeneration; diclofenac sodium did not show such an effect. The present study demonstrates the positive effect of acupuncture on regeneration of a crushed sciatic nerve in the rabbits. And acupuncture is a better treatment for regeneration of crushed nerve than diclofenac sodium.

The electrical stimulation of meridian points in rats inhibits the withdrawal reflex of the nociceptive tail. Its pain mechanisms are well-documented. Moreover, electroacupuncture (EA) at special abdominal acupoints has been shown to induce a short-term hypoglycemia effect in streptozotocin diabetic rats. The Zusanli and Zhongwan acupoints have been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to relieve symptoms of diabetes mellitus. It is still unclear whether they can affect extracellular glucose and lactate metabolites at the cellular level. The aim of this study is to evaluate these effects using a rat model for the analysis of extracellular neurochemicals. First, electrical stimulus of 2 ms 2 Hz square pulses (30 minutes) was applied to anesthetized intact rats (n = 7) at the Zusanli points. One and a half hours later, a second electrical stimulus (2 Hz pulses, 30 minutes) was delivered to two of the rats at the same spot. Another two rats received a different stimulation (100 Hz pulses, 30 minutes) at the same location. In the final three rats, a second electrical stimulus of 2 Hz pulses was delivered to non-acupoints. An automated micro-blood sample collector was used to examine the glucose, pyruvate and lactate concentrations. The EA signal has an influence on the biologic process of energy metabolism by mediating dynamic extracellular neurochemical changes. The EA at limb acupoints of the lower limbs induces a decrease in glucose, an increase in lactate metabolites and a decrease in the lactate/glucose ratio. Moreover, the increased lactate/glucose ratio suggests that the cell has an increased anaerobic glucose metabolism.

This study aims to investigate the role of changes in leptin and beta endorphin (BE) levels in weight loss following electroacupuncture (EA) application in obesity treatment. EA was applied to 20 females who were 41.45 ± 4.71 years old and had a body mass index of 36.00 ± 2.66; and a diet program was applied to 20 females who were 42.30 ± 4.35 years old and had a body mass index of 34.90 ± 3.21. There was a 4.5% weight reduction in the patients with EA application, whereas patients on diet restriction had a 3.1% weight reduction. A decrease of loss of body weight was observed in the EA group (p < 0.000) when compared against the diet restricted group. A decrease of serum leptin levels (p < 0.000) and an increase in the serum BE (p < 0.05) levels were observed in the EA group compared to the diet restricted group. In this study, reduced serum leptin levels paralleling to weight loss were observed in the EA group. Furthermore, it is thought that in the EA applied group, increasing serum BE level probably enhanced the lipolitic activity which may have caused weight loss in obese people by mobilizing energy stores. It may be considered that the EA application with diet restriction in obesity treatment is more effective than the diet restriction alone.

Electroacupuncture (EA) is widely used to treat disorders of the nervous system, such as stroke. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of EA on cerebral blood flow (CBF) in cerebral ischemic rats. We developed an animal model of cerebral ischemia (CI) by occluding the blood flow of both common carotid arteries in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats; 2 or 15 Hz EA was applied to both Zusanli acupoints. The levels of nitric oxide (NO) in the peripheral blood and amounts of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the cerebral cortex and thalamus were measured. In addition, L-N (G)-nitro arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) was used to measure the changes in CBF induced by EA in rats with and without CI. The results indicated that both 2 and 15 Hz EA increase the mean CBF in rats with and without CI. However, neither 2 nor 15 Hz EA induced changes in levels of NO in peripheral blood or changes in CGRP levels in cerebral cortex and thalamus. In addition, L-NAME did not change the increase in CBF. We concluded that both 2 and 15 Hz EA at both Zusanli acupoints induced the increase of CBF in rats with and without CI. Whether the effect of EA is related to NO or CGRP will be investigated in a future study.

Our purpose was to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) therapy on body weight and on levels of serum insulin, c-peptide and glucose in obese women. 52 healthy women were included in this study and were allocated into three groups: 1) Placebo EA group (n = 15; mean age = 41.8 ± 4.6 and mean body mass index {BMI} = 33.2 ± 3.5); 2) EA group (n = 20; mean age = 42.1 ± 4.4 and BMI = 35.9 ± 3.6) and 3) Diet restriction group (n = 20; mean age = 42.9 ± 4.3 and BMI = 34.7 ± 2.7). EA was applied to the ear points Hunger and Shen Men on alternating days and to the body points LI 4, LI 11, St 36 and St 44 once a day for 30 minutes over 20 days. Diet restriction that entailed a 1450 kilocalorie (kcal) diet program was applied to the three groups for 20 days. An increase in weight loss was observed when weight loss in the EA group (p < 0.000) was compared to that in the diet restricted and placebo EA groups using the Tukey HSD test. There were increases in the serum insulin (p < 0.001) and c-peptide levels (p < 0.000) in the women treated with EA compared to those in the women treated with the placebo EA and diet restriction groups. A decrease was observed in the glucose levels (p < 0.01)in both the EA and diet restriction groups compared to those in the placebo EA group. Our results suggest that EA therapy is an effective method in treating obesity. EA therapy also helps serum glucose levels to decrease through the increase of serum insulin and c-peptide levels.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on the glycoconjugate (GC) changes in articular cartilage in the ankle of an arthritic model. Arthritis was induced by an intraplantar injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into the hindpaw of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Bilateral EA stimulation at 2 Hz, 15 Hz and 120 Hz was applied at those acupoints corresponding to Zusanli and Sanyinjiao in man, using needles for 3-day intervals for 30 days. To determine the presence of arthritis, paw edema was measured by a water displacement plethysmometer. Edema of the hindpaw induced by CFA-injection was strongly inhibited by EA stimulation throughout the experimental period. At 30 days after CFA-injection, GC changes of articular cartilage of the ankle joint were observed using conventional and lectin histochemistry. The CFA-injected rat revealed general reduction of staining abilities and lectin affinities for GC in comparison with normal rats. Significant reductions of neutral and acidic GC were observed in interterritorial matrix and chondrocyte capsules, respectively. All lectin affinities examined except DBA were also decreased in CFA-injected rats compared to normal ones. However, EA-treated rats, showed similar staining patterns and lectin affinities for GC as to normal ones, especially neutral GC in interterritorial matrix and sWGA and RCA-1 affinities in chondrocytes. It is concluded that EA in all frequencies examined, especially 2 Hz, can attenuate inflammatory edema in CFA-injected rats through alleviation of alterations of GC components in articular cartilage.

This study examined the antinociceptive effect of electroacupuncture (EA) to heterotopic acupoints on formalin-induced pain in rats. EA (2 ms, 10 Hz, and 3 mA) was delivered to heterotopic acupoints HE₇ and PE₇, or non-acupoints at the right fore limb, for 30 min and was immediately followed by subcutaneous formalin injection into the left hind paw, respectively. The quantified pain score, electromyogram (EMG) response of the C-fiber reflex, and cFos immunoreactivity were assessed, respectively. EA to heterotopic acupoints significantly reduced both early- and late-phase pain-like behaviors and significantly decreased the EMG responses of the C-fiber reflex after formalin injection. By contrast, EA to non-acupoints had no significant effects on pain-like behavior or the EMG response. In addition, EA to heterotopic acupoints decreased cFos immunoreactivity in the lumbar spinal dorsal horn. Therefore, EA induced pre-emptive antinociception via the extra-segmental inhibition of the formalin-induced pain, suggesting that EA to heterotopic acupoints is a useful treatment for inflammatory pain.

We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on carrageenan-induced inflammatory model in association with peripheral and spinal COX-2 expression. EA with 2, 15 and 120 Hz, especially 2 Hz, had significant inhibitory effects on the developing of edema and hyperalgesia, which was measured in 30-min intervals after carrageenan injection. Therefore, we investigated whether the effect of 2 Hz EA on carrageenan-induced edema and hyperalgesia is associated with peripheral and spinal expression of inflammatory proteins. The expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, COX-2, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was inhibited by 2 Hz EA in carrageenan-injected rat paws. Interestingly, we found that the mRNA of COX-1 and COX-2 expression in the spine was not induced by 2 Hz EA treatment after carrageenan-induced peripheral inflammation. In addition, synthesis of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) was partially inhibited by 2 Hz EA treatment in both peripheral and spinal nociceptive regions. In conclusion, EA treatment might be a useful therapy for mitigation of inflammatory edema and hyperalgesia through regulation of COX-2 expression in both peripheral and central nociceptive sites.

This study focuses on the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the gastric mucosal histology and ITF (intestinal trefoil factor) mRNA in stress-related rat, and the relationship between the gastric protective mechanism of EA at acupoints of Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming (SMFY) group and Gallbladder Meridian of Foot-Shaoyang (GMFS) group. Forty rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: blank control group (BCG), model control group (MCG), SMFY group (EA at acupoints of SMFY for 7 days before model inducing), and GMFS group (EA at acupoints of GMFS for 7 days before model inducing). All rats (except normal group) were made model by water immersion and restriction (WRS) on day 7, then the gastric mucosal lesion index (GUI) was accessed, ITF mRNA expression of the tissue was detected by reverse- transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method, and the histological change under light microscope was observed. As a result, the GUI value in SMFY/GMFS groups decreased significantly (p < 0.05 or 0.01). The level of ITF mRNA expression in SMFY group was significantly higher than that in MCG (p < 0.01), while that in GMFS group was higher than MCG but there was no statistical difference (p < 0.05). This result may be due to the intrinsic mechanism of EA's gastric mucosal protection by the upregulation of ITF mRNA expression in gastric mucosal tissue, and the expression variance indicated the classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory "Relative Particularity between SMFY and Stomach.".