Effects of Electroacupuncture at Jiaji(EX-B2)on Phosphorylated ERK and NK-1 Signal Conduction Pathway in Dorsal Horn in Complete Freund’s Adjuvant Arthritis Rats
Wang Chunlei~1, Wang Shengxu~1, Xu Xingyi~2. Effects of Electroacupuncture at Jiaji(EX-B2)on Phosphorylated ERK and NK-1 Signal Conduction Pathway in Dorsal Horn in Complete Freund’s Adjuvant Arthritis Rats[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine2006, (5): 348-351. DOI: 10.13288/j.11-2166/r.2006.05.019.
Wang Chunlei~1, Wang Shengxu~1, Xu Xingyi~2. Effects of Electroacupuncture at Jiaji(EX-B2)on Phosphorylated ERK and NK-1 Signal Conduction Pathway in Dorsal Horn in Complete Freund’s Adjuvant Arthritis Rats[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine2006, (5): 348-351. DOI: 10.13288/j.11-2166/r.2006.05.019.DOI:
Objective:To observe effects of electroacupuncture at Jiaji(EX-B
2
)on phosphorylated extracellular signal regulated kinase(ERK)and neurokinin-1(NK-1)in dorsal horn of the complete Freund’s adjuvant arthritis rat
so as to study possible mechanism of electroacupuncture analgesia from the point of view of signal conduction.Methods:Eighty Wistar adult male rats were randomly divided into normal control group
simple electroacupuncture(EA)group
model 30 min group
model 24h group
model 48 h group
EA 30min group
EA 24h group
and EA 48h group
10 rats in each group.Inflammatory pain rat model was established by injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant into left hindpaw.EA was given at bilateral L
3
~L
5
Jiaji(EX-B
2
).The pain threshold was determined and phosphorylated ERK and NK-1 expressions in the spinal cord were detected by immunohistochemical technique.Results:The pain threshold significantly decreased(all P
<
0.01)and phosphorylated ERK in the hmolateral spinal cord significantly increased(all P
<
0.01)in the various model groups as compared with those in normal control group and simple EA group;After the treatment
pain threshold decreased in all the EA groups
but it significantly increased as compared with the same time point model group
and the phosphorylated ERK level in the homolateral spinal cord significantly decreased as compared with that of the same time point model groups(P
<
0.01).The NK-1 receptor expression in the homolateral spinal cord in the model 24h group and the EA 24h group significant increased as compared with those in the normal control group and in the simple EA group(P
<
0.05 or P
<
0.01).Conclusion:EA at Jiaji(EX-B
2
)can significantly alleviate inflammatory pain and increase pain threshold in the adjuvant arthritis rat
and ERK is possibly an important signal conduction molecular in EA analgesia
which can play an important role in inflammatory pain sensitivity formation and EA analgesia through activation of phosphorylation and regulation on NK-1 expression.