title: Electroacupuncture improves neuropathic pain: Adenosine, adenosine 5'-triphosphate disodium and their receptors perhaps change simultaneously.
abstract: Applying a stimulating current to acupoints through acupuncture needles - known as electroacupuncture - has the potential to produce analgesic effects in human subjects and experimental animals. When acupuncture was applied in a rat model, adenosine 5'-triphosphate disodium in the extracellular space was broken down into adenosine, which in turn inhibited pain transmission by means of an adenosine A1 receptor-dependent process. Direct injection of an adenosine A1 receptor agonist enhanced the analgesic effect of acupuncture. The analgesic effect of acupuncture appears to be mediated by activation of A1 receptors located on ascending nerves. In neuropathic pain, there is upregulation of P2X purinoceptor 3 (P2X3) receptor expression in dorsal root ganglion neurons. Conversely, the onset of mechanical hyperalgesia was diminished and established hyperalgesia was significantly reversed when P2X3 receptor expression was downregulated. The pathways upon which electroacupuncture appear to act are interwoven with pain pathways, and electroacupuncture stimuli converge with impulses originating from painful areas. Electroacupuncture may act via purinergic A1 and P2X3 receptors simultaneously to induce an analgesic effect on neuropathic pain.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social & Family Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Wenzhan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Songhe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Ruidong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social & Family Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Yaping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Du
keywords: A1 receptors; P2X purinoceptor 3 receptors; adenosine; adenosine 5’-triphosphate disodium; analgesia; central nervous system; electroacupuncture; neural regeneration; neuropathic pain; peripheral nervous system; regeneration