title: The role of arginine vasopressin in electroacupuncture treatment of primary sciatica in human.
abstract: It has been implicated that electroacupuncture can relieve the symptoms of sciatica with the increase of pain threshold in human, and arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the brain rather than the spinal cord and blood circulation participates in antinociception. Our previous study has proven that AVP in the brain played a role in the process of electroacupuncture analgesia in rat. The goal of the present study was to investigate the role of AVP in electroacupuncture in treating primary sciatica in human. The results showed that (1) AVP concentration of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (7.5 ± 2.5 pg/ml), not plasma (13.2 ± 4.2 pg/ml) in primary sciatica patients was lower than that in health volunteers (16.1 ± 3.8 pg/ml and 12.3 ± 3.4 pg/ml), although the osmotic pressure in CSF and plasma did not change; (2) electroacupuncture of the bilateral "Zusanli" points (St. 36) for 60 min relieved the pain sensation in primary sciatica patients; (3) electroacupuncture increased the AVP level of CSF, not plasma in primary sciatica patients; and (4) there was the positive correlation between the effect of electroacupuncture relieving the pain and the AVP level of CSF in the primary sciatica patients. The data suggested that central AVP, not peripheral AVP might improve the effect of electroacupuncture treatment of primary sciatica in human, i.e., central AVP might take part in the electroacupuncture relieving the pain sensation in primary sciatica patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475000, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475000, China.
authors.forename: Qi-Shun
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Standard Technological Co. Ltd. (Xinxiang Institute for New Medicine), Xinxiang, Henan 453003, China; Jiangsu Su Bei People's Hospital (Clinical College of Yangzhou University), Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225001, China; Xinjiang Nikanka Biological Co. Ltd., Hucheng, Yili, Xinjiang 835707, China. Electronic address: bcd2009@126.com.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Nikanka Biological Co. Ltd., Hucheng, Yili, Xinjiang 835707, China.
authors.forename: Fang-Jie
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Su Bei People's Hospital (Clinical College of Yangzhou University), Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225001, China.
authors.forename: Da-Xin
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University (Henan Provincial Mental Hospital), Xinxiang, Henan 453002, China.
authors.forename: Chang-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475000, China. Electronic address: 380748650@qq.com.
authors.forename: Wei-Ya
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D012585:Sciatica / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D001127:Arginine Vasopressin
keywords: Acupuncture; Arginine vasopressin; Cerebrospinal fluid; Human; Plasma; Primary sciatica