An important role of corticotropin-releasing hormone in electroacupuncture normalizing the subnormal function of hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis in ovariectomized rats.
In the present study, the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at a group of specific acupoints on corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) immunoreactivity (ir) in the hypothalamuses of ovariectomized rats were observed. Meanwhile the blood E2 level was detected. The results showed that EA might significantly increase the blood level of E2 and GnRH cell number in the ovariectomized rats. The number of CRH neurons was higher in the group ovariectomized with EA than that in the ovariectomized and intact groups. Interestingly enough, only in the group ovariectomized with EA was observed the co-localization of CRH-ir and GnRH-ir substances in one cell of hypothalamic nucleus paraventricularis by immunofluorescent double-labeling histochemistry combining laser con-focal scanning microscope. The results suggest that CRH might be an important factor in EA normalizing the subnormal function of hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis.
Zhao
Hong
H
Department of Neurobiology, Shanghai Medical Center of Fudan University, (Formerly Shanghai Medical University), P.O. Box 291, 138 Yi-Xue-Yuan Road, 200032 Shanghai, PR China.
Tian
Zhan-Zhuang
ZZ
Chen
Bo-Ying
BY
D000818:Animals; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism*; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats
D004967:Estrogens; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone