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

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...

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Published inNeural regeneration research Vol. 7; no. 33; pp. 2618 - 2623
Main Authors Ren, Wen, Tu, Wenzhan, Jiang, Songhe, Cheng, Ruidong, Du, Yaping
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published India Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd 25.11.2012
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 325000,Zhejiang Province,China
Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd
Subjects
Acupuncture and Moxibustion and Neural Regeneration
Adenosine diphosphate
Analgesics
Clinical medicine
Hyperalgesia
Narcotics
Nervous system
Pain
Peptides
Physiology
Spinal cord
受体激动剂
受体表达
嘌呤受体
疼痛
磷酸二钠
背根神经节神经元
腺苷
镇痛作用
adenosine
P2X purinoceptor 3 receptors
neuropathic pain
neural regeneration
A1 receptors
regeneration
analgesia
electroacupuncture
peripheral nervous system
adenosine 5’-triphosphate disodium
central nervous system
adenosine 5'-triphosphate disodium
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Summary: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.
Bibliography:electroacupuncture; analgesia; adenosine; adenosine 5＇-triphosphate disodium; A1 receptors; P2Xpudnoceptor 3 receptors; neuropathic pain; peripheral nervous system; central nervous system;regeneration; neural regeneration.
Wen Ren, Wenzhan Tu, Songhe Jiang, Ruidong Cheng, Yaping Du（ 1 Institute of Social ＆ Family Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, China 2 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China ）
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.
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Wen Ren, M.D., Institute of Social & Family Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, China
Author statements: The manuscript is original, has not been submitted to or is not under consideration by another publication, has not been previously published in any language or any form, including electronic, and contains no disclosure of confidential information or authorship/patent application disputations.
Author contributions: Wen Ren and Wenzhan Tu had full access to the study conception and design, and wrote the manuscript. Ruidong Cheng was responsible for producing the figure. Yaping Du and Songhe Jiang validated the article, and supervised the study. All authors participated in manuscript development, oversight and instruction.
Wen Ren and Wenzhan Tu contributed equally to this article.
ISSN:1673-5374
1876-7958
DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2012.33.007