Correlation between the cumulative analgesic effect of electroacupuncture intervention and synaptic plasticity of hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus neurons in rats with sciatica

作     者：Qiuling Xu Tao Liu Shuping Chen Yonghui Gao Junying Wang Lina Qiao Junling Liu 

作者机构：Hainan Medical University Institute of Acu-moxibustionChina Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences 

出 版 物：《Neural Regeneration Research》 (中国神经再生研究（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2013年第8卷第3期

页      面：218-225页

核心收录：

学科分类：1005[医学-中医学] 100512[医学-针灸推拿学] 10[医学] 

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.30472241,90709031 and 30973796 the National Basic Research Program of China for Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory("973" Program),No.2007CB512505 the Natural Foundation of Hainan Province(No.310054) a grant from the Health Department of Hainan Province(QiongWei 2010-45) 

主　　题：neural regeneration acupuncture and moxibustion Chronic neuropathic pain electroacupuncture acupuncture analgesia cumulative effect synaptic plasticity hypothalamus learning and memory neurobiology grants-supported paper photographs-containing paper neuroregeneration 

摘      要：In the present study, a rat model of chronic neuropathic pain was established by ligation of the sciatic nerve and a model of learning and memory impairment was established by ovariectomy to investigate the analgesic effect of repeated electroacupuncture stimulation at bilateral Zusanfi （ST36） and Yanglingquan （GB34）. In addition, associated synaptic changes in neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus were examined. Results indicate that the thermal pain threshold （paw withdrawal latency） was significantly increased in rats subjected to 2-week electroacupuncture intervention compared with 2-day electroacupuncture, but the analgesic effect was weakened remarkably in ovariectomized rats with chronic constrictive injury. 2-week electroacupuncture intervention substantially reversed the chronic constrictive injury-induced increase in the synaptic cleft width and thinning of the postsynaptic density. These findings indicate that repeated electroacupuncture at bilateral Zusanfi and Yanglingquan has a cumulative analgesic effect and can effectively relieve chronic neuropathic pain by remodeling the synaptic structure of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus.