Adenosine A1 receptors mediate local anti-nociceptive effects of acupuncture.
Acupuncture is an invasive procedure commonly used to relieve pain. Acupuncture is practiced worldwide, despite difficulties in reconciling its principles with evidence-based medicine. We found that adenosine, a neuromodulator with anti-nociceptive properties, was released during acupuncture in mice and that its anti-nociceptive actions required adenosine A1 receptor expression. Direct injection of an adenosine A1 receptor agonist replicated the analgesic effect of acupuncture. Inhibition of enzymes involved in adenosine degradation potentiated the acupuncture-elicited increase in adenosine, as well as its anti-nociceptive effect. These observations indicate that adenosine mediates the effects of acupuncture and that interfering with adenosine metabolism may prolong the clinical benefit of acupuncture.
Goldman
Nanna
N
Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA.
Chen
Michael
M
Fujita
Takumi
T
Xu
Qiwu
Q
Peng
Weiguo
W
Liu
Wei
W
Jensen
Tina K
TK
Pei
Yong
Y
Wang
Fushun
F
Han
Xiaoning
X
Chen
Jiang-Fan
JF
Schnermann
Jurgen
J
Takano
Takahiro
T
Bekar
Lane
L
Tieu
Kim
K
Nedergaard
Maiken
M
D015667:Acupuncture Analgesia; D000241:Adenosine / Q000378:metabolism*; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000378:metabolism*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D051379:Mice; D009708:Nucleotidases / Q000378:metabolism; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D059408:Pain Management; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D018047:Receptors, Purinergic P1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012585:Sciatica / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D018047:Receptors, Purinergic P1; D009708:Nucleotidases; C018775:adenosine monophosphatase; D000241:Adenosine