Hypothalamic Norepinephrine Mediates Acupunctural Effects on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis During Ethanol Withdrawal

Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies
Zhenglin ZhaoYiyan Wu

Abstract

A previous study demonstrated that acupuncture at ST36 (Zu-San-Li) attenuates ethanol withdrawal (EW)-induced hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in rats. The current study investigated the involvement of hypothalamic norepinephrine (NE) in that process. Rats were intraperitoneally treated with 3 g/kg/d of ethanol or saline for 28 days. After 24 hours of EW, acupuncture was applied to rats at bilateral ST36 points or at nonacupoints (tail) for 1 minute. A high-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that EW significantly increased both the NE and the 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol (MHPG) levels in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Western blot analysis also revealed that EW markedly elevated the phosphorylation rates of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), but spared TH protein expression in the PVN. However, acupuncture at ST36, but not at nonacupoints, greatly inhibited the increase in the hypothalamic NE, MHPG, and phosphorylation rates of TH. Additionally, postacupuncture infusion of NE into the PVN significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of acupuncture at ST36 on the oversecretion of plasma corticosterone during EW. These results suggest that acupuncture at ST36 inhibits EW-in...Continue Reading

References

Dec 1, 2004·Journal of Neurochemistry·Peter R DunkleyPhillip W Dickson
Dec 21, 2004·Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research·Raúl PastorCarlos M G Aragon
May 26, 2005·Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences·Zhongqi LiCatherine Rivier
May 23, 2006·Alcohol·Patricia Patterson-BuckendahlRichard Kvetnansky
Aug 27, 2011·Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : ECAM·Zheng Lin ZhaoRong Jie Zhao
Dec 28, 2012·The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology : Official Journal of the Korean Physiological Society and the Korean Society of Pharmacology·Bombi LeeDae-Hyun Hahm

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Citations

Nov 8, 2017·Neuromodulation : Journal of the International Neuromodulation Society·Ling-Yong XiaoCun-Zhi Liu
Sep 14, 2017·Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : ECAM·ZhengLin ZhaoYiYan Wu
Jun 15, 2017·Scientific Reports·Takumi FujitaTakahiro Takano

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