title: Acupuncture Attenuates Anxiety-Like Behavior by Normalizing Amygdaloid Catecholamines during Ethanol Withdrawal in Rats.
abstract: Previously, we demonstrated acupuncture at acupoint HT7 (Shen-Men) attenuated ethanol withdrawal syndrome by normalizing the dopamine release in nucleus accumbens shell. In the present study, we investigated the effect of acupuncture on anxiety-like behavior in rats and its relevant mechanism by studying neuro-endocrine parameters during ethanol withdrawal. Rats were treated with 3 g kg(-1)day(-1) of ethanol (20%, w/v) or saline by intraperitoneal injections for 28 days. The rats undergoing ethanol withdrawal exhibited anxiety-like behavior 72 h after the last dose of ethanol characterized by the decrease of time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze compared with the saline-treated rats (P < .05). Radioimmunoassay exhibited there were notably increased concentrations of plasma corticosterone in ethanol-withdrawn rats compared with saline-treated rats (P < .05). Additionally, high performance liquid chromatography analysis also showed the levels of norepinephrine and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol were markedly increased while the levels of dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid were significantly decreased in the central nucleus of the amygdala of ethanol-withdrawn rats compared with saline-treated rats (P < .01). Acupuncture groups were treated with acupuncture at acupoint HT7 or PC6 (Nei-Guan). Acupuncture at HT7 but not PC6 greatly attenuated the anxiety-like behavior during ethanol withdrawal as evidenced by significant increases in the percentage of time spent in open arms (P < .05). In the meantime, acupuncture at HT7 also markedly inhibited the alterations of neuro-endocrine parameters induced by ethanol withdrawal (P < .05). These results suggest that acupuncture may attenuate anxiety-like behavior during ethanol withdrawal through regulation of neuro-endocrine system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang 157011, China.
authors.forename: Zheng Lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Guang Wen
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Hou Zhong
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xu Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yi Yan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Li Xin
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Feng Guo
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Jia Qi
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chae Ha
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Sang Chan
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kee Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Rong Jie
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Zhao