title: Visceral antinociception produced by bee venom stimulation of the Zhongwan acupuncture point in mice: role of alpha(2) adrenoceptors.
abstract: The goal of the present study was to determine whether bee venom (BV) injection into the Zhongwan acupoint (CV12), compared to injection into a non-acupoint, produced antinociception in an acetic acid-induced visceral pain model. This was accomplished by injecting BV subcutaneously into the Zhongwan acupoint or into a non-acupoint 30 min before intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid in ICR mice. BV injection into the acupoint produced a dose dependent suppression of acetic acid-induced abdominal stretches and of acetic acid-induced Fos expression in the spinal cord and the nucleus tractus solitarii. In contrast BV injection into the non-acupoint only produced antinociception at the highest dose of BV tested. Naloxone pretreatment did not alter the antinociceptive effect of BV acupoint injection on the abdominal stretch reflex. On the other hand, pretreatment with the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, yohimbine completely blocked the antinociceptive effect of BV acupoint injection. These results imply that BV acupoint stimulation can produce visceral antinociception that is associated with activation of alpha 2-adrenoceptors, but not with naloxone-sensitive opioid receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and School of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Suwon 441-744, South Korea.
authors.forename: Y B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Beitz
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D015667:Acupuncture Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017552:Solitary Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D017833:Visceral Afferents / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D000700:Analgesics; D001514:Bee Venoms; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D015016:Yohimbine; D009270:Naloxone; D019342:Acetic Acid