title: Effects of acupuncture on stress-induced relapse to cocaine-seeking in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cocaine addiction is associated with high rates of relapse, and stress has been identified as a major risk factor. We have previously demonstrated that acupuncture reduces drug self-administration and dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a brain structure implicated in stress-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to investigate the effects of acupuncture on footshock-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking and the expression of c-Fos and the transcription factor cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in the NAc, used as markers of neuronal activation in conditions of stress-induced reinstatement to cocaine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to self-administer cocaine (1.0 mg/kg) for 14 days, followed by extinction and then footshock stress. Acupuncture was applied at bilateral Shenmen (HT7) points for 1 min after footshock stress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acute footshock stress reinstated cocaine-seeking behavior and enhanced c-Fos expression and phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) activation in the NAc shell in cocaine pre-exposed rats. On the other hand, acupuncture at HT7, but not at control point (LI5), markedly reduced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking (86.5 % inhibition vs. control value), c-Fos expression (81.7% inhibition), and pCREB activation (79.3% inhibition) in the NAc shell. These results suggest that acupuncture attenuates stress-induced relapse by regulating neuronal activation in the NAc shell.
authors.affiliation: College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, 165 Sang-Dong, Suseong-Gu, Daegu 706-828, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seong Shoon
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Eun Jin
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Bong Hyo
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Hee Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sun-Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Scott C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Steffensen
authors.forename: Chae Ha
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000628:therapy*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008297:Male; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012008:Recurrence; D012646:Self Administration; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D003042:Cocaine