Analgesic Effect of Electroacupuncture on Paclitaxel-Induced Neuropathic Pain via Spinal Opioidergic and Adrenergic Mechanisms in Mice.

Choi, Jung-Wan; Kang, Suk-Yun; Choi, Jae-Gyun; Kang, Dong-Wook; Kim, Soo-Jin; Lee, Sang Do; Park, Jin Bong; Ryu, Yeon-Hee; Kim, Hyun-Woo

This study was designed to determine the antinociceptive effect and related neuronal mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) on paclitaxel (PTX)-induced neuropathic pain in mice. PTX (4 mg/kg, i. p.) was administered once a day for 5 consecutive days to induce neuropathic pain. EA stimulation (2 mA, 2 Hz, 30 min) was applied at the ST36 acupoint bilaterally once in every 2 days. Repeated EA stimulation significantly attenuated PTX-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. In a separate set of experiment, the antinociceptive effect of a single EA stimulation 8 days after PTX treatment was reduced by intrathecal pretreatment with naloxone (opioid receptor antagonist), idazoxan (alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist) or propranolol (beta-adrenoceptor antagonist), but not prazosin (alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist). Moreover, EA remarkably suppressed the PTX-enhanced phosphorylation of the NMDA receptor NR2B subunit in the spinal dorsal horn, and intrathecal pretreatment of naloxone, idazoxan (IDA) or propranolol blocked the effect of EA. In conclusion, EA stimulation at the ST36 acupoint significantly diminished PTX-induced neuropathic pain in mice via the mediation of spinal opioid receptor, alpha2- and beta-adrenoceptors.

ANALGESICS; ANALYSIS of variance; ANIMAL experimentation; CANCER chemotherapy; ELECTROACUPUNCTURE; MOTOR ability; PAIN; RESEARCH funding; STATISTICS; T-test (Statistics); WESTERN immunoblotting; DATA analysis; DATA analysis software; DESCRIPTIVE statistics

American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 2015, Vol 43, Issue 1, p57

0192-415X

Academic Journal

10.1142/S0192415X15500044