title: Acupuncture Stimulation Attenuates Impaired Emotional-Like Behaviors and Activation of the Noradrenergic System during Protracted Abstinence following Chronic Morphine Exposure in Rats.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether acupuncture stimulation attenuates withdrawal-induced behaviors in the rats during protracted abstinence following chronic morphine exposure. To do this, male rats were first exposed to morphine gradually from 20 to 100 mg/kg for 5 days, and subsequently naloxone was injected once to extend despair-related withdrawal behaviors for 4 weeks. Acupuncture stimulation was performed once at the SP6 (Sanyinjiao) acupoint on rat's; hind leg for 5 min during protracted abstinence from morphine. The acupuncture stimulation significantly decreased despair-like behavior deficits in the forced swimming test and low sociability in the open-field test as well as increased open-arm exploration in the elevated plus maze test in the last week of 4-week withdrawal period. Also the acupuncture stimulation significantly suppressed the increase in the hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) expression, the decrease in the tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the locus coeruleus, and the decrease in the hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA expression, induced by repeated injection of morphine. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the acupuncture stimulation of SP6 significantly reduces withdrawal-induced behaviors, induced by repeated administration of morphine in rats, possibly through the modulation of hypothalamic CRF and the central noradrenergic system.
authors: Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors: Bombi
authors: B
authors: Lee
authors: The Graduate School of Basic Science of Oriental Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors: Bong-Jun
authors: BJ
authors: Sur
authors: Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea ; The Graduate School of Basic Science of Oriental Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors: Insop
authors: I
authors: Shim
authors: Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea ; The Graduate School of Basic Science of Oriental Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors: Dae-Hyun
authors: DH
authors: Hahm
authors: Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea ; The Graduate School of Basic Science of Oriental Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors: Hyejung
authors: H
authors: Lee