Ascending Nociceptive Control Contributes to the Antinociceptive Effect of Acupuncture in a Rat Model of Acute Pain

JOURNAL OF PAIN

卷:15

Article

Tobaldini, Glaucia¹  Aisengart, Betina¹  Lima, Marcelo M. S.¹  Tambeli, Claudia H.²  Fischer, Luana¹ 

[1] Univ Fed Parana, Div Biol Sci, Dept Physiol, BR-80060000 Curitiba, Parana, Brazil

[2] Univ Estadual Campinas, UNICAMP, Inst Biol, Dept Funct & Struct Biol, Campinas, SP, Brazil

关键词: Acupuncture;    ascending nociceptive control;    analgesia;    nociception;    pain;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jpain.2013.12.008

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Acupuncture-induced analgesia depends on the activation of endogenous pain modulation pathways. In this study, we asked whether ascending nociceptive control (ANC), a form of pain-induced analgesia, contributes to the antinociceptive effect of acupuncture. To answer this question, we tested the ability of procedures that block ANC-induced analgesia, at peripheral, spinal, nucleus accumbens and rostral ventral medulla levels, to block acupuncture-induced analgesia. Acupuncture at ST36 (Zusanli), a widely used acupoint located in the hind limb, induced potent heterosegmental antinociception in the orofacial formalin test. The magnitude of this antinociceptive effect was similar to that induced by an intraplantar injection of capsaicin, a procedure classically used to activate ANC. The antinociceptive effect of acupuncture was blocked by sciatic C-fibers depletion (1% perineural capsaicin), spinal administration of a mu-opioid (Cys2,Tyr3,Orn5,Pen7amide,.2 mu g) or of a GABA(A) (bicuculline, .3 mu g) receptor antagonist, intra nucleus accumbens administration of a mu-opioid receptor antagonist (Cys2,Tyr3,Orn5,Pen7amide, 1 mu g), or intrarostral ventral medulla administration of a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist (mecamylamine, .6 mu g). In addition, acupuncture at ST36 and/or upper lip formalin induced c-Fos expression in the nucleus accumbens and in rostral ventral medulla. On the basis of these results, we propose that ANC contributes to the antinociceptive effect of acupuncture. Perspective: This article presents a novel mechanism of acupuncture analgesia, contributing to the understanding of its scientific basis. Because ANC is a pain modulation pathway activated by peripheral noxious stimulation that ascends to supraspinal regions, it could be the link between acupoint stimulation and the central mechanisms underlying acupuncture analgesia. (C) 2014 by the American Pain Society

【 授权许可】

Free