title: Acupuncture stimulation inhibits somato-renal sympathetic A- and C-reflexes in anesthetized rats.
abstract: Stimulation of peripheral nerve afferent for example tibial nerve by a strong electrical stimulation (rectanfular wave with 20V amplitude; pulse duration of 0.5 ms, 0.3 pulses/sec) can evoke a discharge of the somato-sympathetic reflex which is recorded on the efferent of renal sympathetic nerve. The component of the somato-sympathetic reflex can be divided into two parts: one is related to the transmission of the myelinated afferent fibers with a short lantency (41+/-2 ms) and is defined A-reflex, the other is related to the transmission of the unmyelinated afferent fibers with a long latency (210+/-13 ms) and is defined C-reflex. In the present study, an acupuncture needle (diameter 0.34 mm) was inserted into the hind limbs of the rat, dorsolaterally at the area of acupoint: huantiao (GB30), at a depth of 4-5 mm and was twisted right and left twice every second during recording the somato-renal sympathetic reflex. It was found that acupuncture on the huantiao acupoint significantly inhibited both A- and C-reflexes. There was no different inhibition of the A- and C-reflexes by acupuncture on the right or left side. However acupuncture on the fore limbs of the rat dorsolaterally at the area of acupoint: quchi (LI11) showed no effect on neither A- nor C-reflexes. These results suggest that acupuncture at the same spinal segment of the acupoint inhibits the somatorenal sympathetic reflex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Medical Center of Fundan University (Former Shanghai Medical University), China.
authors.forename: Wei-Min
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Gen-Cheng
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hideko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arita
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hanaoka
mesh_terms: D026881:Acupuncture; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D007668:Kidney / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology*; D036421:Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated / Q000502:physiology*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*