title: Molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of acupuncture on neuropathic pain.
abstract: Acupuncture has been used to treat neuropathic pain for a long time, but its mechanisms of action remain unknown. In this study, we observed the effects of electroacupuncture and manual acu-puncture on neuropathic pain and on ephrin-B/EphB signaling in rats models of chronic constriction injury-induced neuropathic pain. The results showed that manual acupuncture and elec-puncture significantly reduced mechanical hypersensitivity following chronic constriction injury, es-pecially electroacupuncture treatment. Real-time PCR results revealed that ephrin-B1/B3 and EphB1/B2 mRNA expression levels were significantly increased in the spinal dorsal horns of chronic constriction injury rats. Electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture suppressed the high sion of ephrin-B1 mRNA, and elevated EphB3/B4 mRNA expression. Electroacupuncture signifi-cantly enhanced the mRNA expression of ephrin-B3 and EphB3/B6 in the dorsal horns of neuro-pathic pain rats. Western blot results revealed that electroacupuncture in particular, and manual acupuncture, significantly up-regulated ephrin-B3 protein levels in rat spinal dorsal horns. The re-sults of this study suggest that acupuncture could activate ephrin-B/EphB signaling in neuropathic pain rats and improve neurological function.
authors.affiliation: College of Acumox and Tuina, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Ziyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Huashun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: College of Acumox and Tuina, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: College of Acumox and Tuina, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Huayuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: College of Acumox and Tuina, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Jinsen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: acupuncture; chronic constriction injury; electroacupuncture; ephrin-B/EphB signaling; grants-supported paper; nerve repair; neural regeneration; neuropathic pain; neuroregeneration; spinal dorsal horn