title: Contributions of nitric oxide and prostaglandins to the local increase in muscle blood flow following manual acupuncture in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the contributions of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandins (PGs) to the increase in local muscle blood flow (MBF) observed following manual acupuncture (MA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=112; 250-310 g) were injected intraperitoneally with a non-selective NO synthase inhibitor (NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride: L-NAME; 10, 50 or 500 mg/kg), a non-selective cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor (indomethacin; 10, 50 or 500 mg/kg), a combination of L-NAME and indomethacin (500 mg/kg each) or saline only under urethane anaesthesia (1.2 g/kg). We used the sparrow pecking technique for 1 min with a stainless steel acupuncture needle (0.20×30 mm) as the acupuncture stimulation method. The stimulus point was on the right tibialis anterior muscle. (51)Chromium-labelled microspheres were used for MBF measurement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MA increased MBF in the saline-injected group (p<0.001). This increase was partially inhibited by L-NAME in a dose-dependent manner (p>0.05, p<0.05 and p<0.001 for 10, 50 and 500 mg/kg, respectively). On the other hand, indomethacin did not suppress the increase (p>0.05 each for 10, 50 and 500 mg/kg). No significant difference was observed between the inhibitory effects of combined administration of L-NAME and indomethacin and single administration of L-NAME (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that NO is a major factor in the MA-induced increase in MBF, while PGs do not contribute significantly to this increase. As complete inhibition was not achieved by administration of L-NAME±indomethacin, it appears that non-NO and non-PG vasodilators are additionally involved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Meiji University of Integrative Medicine, Nantan-shi, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shinbara
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya-shi, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masamichi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okubo
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promoting and Geriatric Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Meiji University of Integrative Medicine, Nantan-shi, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Keisaku
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promoting and Geriatric Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Meiji University of Integrative Medicine, Nantan-shi, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizunuma
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Meiji University of Integrative Medicine, Nantan-shi, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sumiya
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009339:Needles; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012039:Regional Blood Flow
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011453:Prostaglandins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D007213:Indomethacin
keywords: ACUPUNCTURE