title: [Effect of HANS electroacupuncture on the expression of NPY in PAG of heroin addicted rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effects of Han's acupoint and nerve stimulator (HANS) electroacupuncture on the expression of NPY in periaqueductal grey (PAG) of heroin addicted rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Heroin was injected subcutaneously according to the principle of daily increasing dose in rats of experimented group. The ability of special learning and memory were tested by Morris water maze; The expression of NPY in PAG of rat were detected by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) Escape latency and searching distance in heroin-addiction group were significantly increased compared with those of normal group during the place navigation test (P < 0.05). However, in acupuncture group, escape latency and searching distance was obviously shortened compared with those of heroin-addiction group (P < 0.05). The exploring time and distance of original platform area in proportion to the total distance in heroin-addiction group significantly decreased compared with those of normal group during spatial probe test (P < 0.05). The exploring time and distance of original platform area in proportion to the total distance in acupuncture group was increased compared with those in heroin-addiction group (P < 0.01). (2) The expression of NPY of heroin-addiction group was lower than that in normal group in PAG, while those of acupuncture group was higher than that in the heroin-addiction group (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The learning and memory induced by heroin-addiction could be reversed and the expression of NPY in PAG was increased by HANS in rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Zunyi Medical College, Guizhou Zunyi 563003, China.
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Gui-Shu
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Yuan-Shou
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-Mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning; D008568:Memory; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000378:metabolism*; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D009478:Neuropeptide Y