Antiepileptic effect of electroacupuncture vs. vagus nerve stimulation in the rat thalamus.
Our previous study has shown that both electroacupuncture (EA) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) can inhibit cortical epileptiform activities induced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). The current study compared the effects of EA and VNS on thalamic neuronal responses to PTZ-induced epileptiform activities. Under general anesthesia, extracellular single unit recordings were made from 49 single neurons in the rat ventrobasal (VB) thalamus. The left vagus nerve was stimulated at 30 Hz, 1 or 3 mA for 5 min. For EA, "Dazhui" acupoint (GV14) was stimulated with the same parameters. It was found that (1) the VB thalamic neurons showed epileptiform activities after PTZ injection; (2) VNS and EA could predominantly inhibit the PTZ-induced epileptiform activities in the thalamic neurons. The higher intensity stimulation (3 mA) in either VNS or EA was, however, not associated with a greater inhibition. Our study suggests that both EA and VNS reduce epileptiform activities at the thalamic level, and EA may be an alternative to VNS.
Zhang
Jian-Liang
JL
School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong.
Zhang
Shi-Ping
SP
Zhang
Hong-Qi
HQ
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013788:Thalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects
D010433:Pentylenetetrazole