Electroacupuncture improves neuropathic pain Adenosine, adenosine 5'-triphosphate disodium and their receptors perhaps change simultaneously

作     者：Wen Ren Wenzhan Tu Songhe Jiang Ruidong Cheng Yaping Du 

作者机构：Institute of Social & Family Medicine Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310058 Zhejiang Province China Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College Wenzhou 325000Zhejiang Province China 

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

年 卷 期：2012年第7卷第33期

页      面：2618-2623页

核心收录：

学科分类：0710[理学-生物学] 1002[医学-临床医学] 1001[医学-基础医学(可授医学、理学学位)] 07[理学] 071006[理学-神经生物学] 

主　　题：electroacupuncture analgesia adenosine adenosine 5'-triphosphate disodium A1 receptors P2Xpudnoceptor 3 receptors neuropathic pain peripheral nervous system central nervous system regeneration neural regeneration. 

摘      要：Applying a stimulating current to acupoints through acupuncture needles–known as electroacupuncture–has the potential to produce analgesic effects in human subjects and experimental animals. When acupuncture was applied in a rat model, adenosine 5-triphosphate disodium in the extracellular space was broken down into adenosine, which in turn inhibited pain transmission by means of an adenosine A1 receptor-dependent process. Direct injection of an adenosine A1 receptor agonist enhanced the analgesic effect of acupuncture. The analgesic effect of acupuncture appears to be mediated by activation of A1 receptors located on ascending nerves. In neuropathic pain, there is upregulation of P2X purinoceptor 3 （P2X3） receptor expression in dorsal root ganglion neurons. Conversely, the onset of mechanical hyperalgesia was diminished and established hyperalgesia was significantly reversed when P2X3 receptor expression was downregulated. The pathways upon which electroacupuncture appear to act are interwoven with pain pathways, and electroacupuncture stimuli converge with impulses originating from painful areas. Electroacupuncture may act via purinergic A1 and P2X3 receptors simultaneously to induce an analgesic effect on neuropathic pain.