Acupuncture decreases nitric oxide synthase expression in periaqueductal gray area of rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes.
Acupuncture has been used as a clinical treatment in Oriental medicine for various diseases including diabetes mellitus, one of the most common metabolic disorders in humans. In the present study, the effect of acupuncture on the expressions of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray (DL-PAG) area of rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes was investigated via nNOS immunohistochemistry and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase histochemistry. Enhanced expression of nNOS and NOS was detected in the DL-PAG of rats with STZ-induced diabetes, and acupunctural treatment at Zusanli acupoint suppressed the diabetes-induced enhancement in the expression of nNOS and NOS. The present results demonstrate that acupuncture is effective in the modulation of the expression of nNOS and NOS in the DL-PAG under diabetic conditions.
Jang
Mi Hyeon
MH
Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, #1 Hoigi-dong, Dongdaemoon-gu, 130-701, Seoul, South Korea.
Shin
Min Chul
MC
Koo
Gyo Sung
GS
Lee
Choong Yeol
CY
Kim
Ee Hwa
EH
Kim
Chang Ju
CJ
D026881:Acupuncture; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009249:NADP / Q000276:immunology; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013311:Streptozocin
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D009249:NADP; D013311:Streptozocin; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; C496322:Nos1 protein, rat