title: Acupuncture manipulation enhances anti-nociceptive effect on formalin-induced pain in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In order to apply appropriate acupuncture stimulation, different needle manipulation techniques are required. These manipulations are performed in many ways such as twirling the needle, varying the insertion angle, etc. The present study was designed to evaluate the antinociceptive effect of these manipulations to the acupuncture point ST36 on formalin-induced pain in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animals were divided into four groups: non-treated control (CON), acupuncture without manipulation (AT), acupuncture with twirling manipulation (TM) and acupuncture with lifting-thrusting manipulation (LM) group. Level of pain was measured in formalin-injected rats in the early (0-10 minutes) and the late (10-60 minutes) phase. Several pain-related gene expressions were investigated in the spinal cord using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Formalin-induced pain was significantly reduced in the TM and the LM groups, compared with the CON and the AT groups. TM was more effective than LM in both phases. Needle manipulation was also effective in suppressing the mRNA expression of pain-related genes such as Fos, opioid receptor-like 1, tachykinin 1, tachykinin receptor 1, mu-opioid receptor and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A in the spinal cord.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TM and the LM groups showed enhanced analgesia, compared with the AT group. This effect might be related to the suppression of the transcription of pain-related genes.
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Gun Ho
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mijung
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yeom
authors.forename: Chang Shik
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Hyejung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Insop
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Mee Sook
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Chang-Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae-Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Hahm
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D005557:Formaldehyde; D015870:Gene Expression; D008297:Male; D009339:Needles; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005557:Formaldehyde