title: Suppressive effect of acupuncture on delayed type hypersensitivity to trinitrochlorobenzene and involvement of opiate receptors.
abstract: We reported previously that electroacupuncture (Acu) at an acu-point equivalent to GV-4 in mice either enhanced or suppressed the delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) to 2,4,6-trinitrochlorobenzene (TNCB, picryl chloride) depending on the time of treatment. We report here the suppression of the efferent phase of DTH to TNCB by Acu in mice. In 7- to 9-week-old male BALB/c, C57BL/6 and ddY mice, significant suppression of the DTH was observed when Acu had been applied once per day for three consecutive days before TNCB challenge. When Acu had been applied a single, significant suppression also occurred. Application to another point (at a middle area of the femoral muscle) failed to suppress the DTH to TNCB. This Acu-evoked DTH suppression was blocked dose-relatedly by pretreatment of systemic naloxone hydrochloride, indicating that opioid receptor-mediated mechanisms are involved in this immune response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oguchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology*; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010853:Picryl Chloride / Q000276:immunology*; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D010853:Picryl Chloride