title: Effects of acupuncture at Zu-San-Li (ST36) on the activity of the hypothalamic--pituitary--adrenal axis during ethanol withdrawal in rats.
abstract: The current study investigated the effects of acupuncture at Zu-San-Li (ST36) on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis during ethanol withdrawal in rats. Rats were intraperitoneally treated with 3 g/kg/day of ethanol or saline for 28 days. Following 24 hours of ethanol withdrawal, acupuncture was applied at bilateral ST36 points or non-acupoints (tail) for 1 minute. Plasma levels of corticosterone (CORT) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA), and the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) protein levels in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus were also examined by RIA 20 minutes after the acupuncture treatment. RIA showed significantly increased plasma levels of CORT and ACTH in the ethanol-withdrawn rats compared with the saline-treated rats, which were inhibited significantly by the acupuncture at the acupoint ST36 but not at the non-acupoint. Additionally, ethanol withdrawal promoted CRF protein expressions in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, which were also blocked by the acupuncture at ST36. These findings suggest that acupuncture at the specific acupoint ST36 can inhibit ethanol withdrawal-induced hyperactivation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and it may be mediated via the modulation of hypothalamic CRF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, China; College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: ZhengLin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Bong Hyo
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, China.
authors.forename: YanQin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, China.
authors.forename: YiYan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sunghyeon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: In
authors.affiliation: College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chan Kim
authors.affiliation: College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Chae Ha
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, China; College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea. Electronic address: zhao_rongjie@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: RongJie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone
keywords: acupuncture; adrenocorticotropic hormone; corticosterone; corticotropin-releasing factor; ethanol