Acupuncture reduces alcohol withdrawal syndrome and c-Fos expression in rat brain.
Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely practiced in the treatment of many functional disorders including alcohol abuse. In the present study, the effects of acupuncture on alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) and Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) in the striatum and the nucleus accumbens (NAC) of rats were investigated. During 3 days of cessation following chronic administration of ethanol (3 g/kg, i.p. for 3 weeks), rats showed a significant increase in AWS, such as hypermotility, tail rigidity, grooming and tremor, and an increase in FLI in the dopamine terminal areas of the brain. Treatment with acupuncture at zusanli (ST36) or sanyinjiao (SP6) during the withdrawal period inhibited both AWS and FLI of rats undergoing ethanol injection. These results suggest that acupuncture may be useful in the treatment of alcoholism by modulating post-synaptic neural activation in the striatum and NAC.
Kim
Ji Hyun
JH
Department of Integrative Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Chung
Jin Yong
JY
Kwon
Young Kyu
YK
Kim
Kwang Joong
KJ
Yang
Chae Ha
CH
Hahm
Dae-Hyun
DH
Lee
Hye-Jung
HJ
Pyun
Kwang-Ho
KH
Shim
Insop
I
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D000431:Ethanol