title: [Effects of electroacupuncture on anxiety and sympathetic-adrenal medulla system in rats with insomnia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the action mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Shenmen" (HT 7) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) on insomnia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group, a model group and an EA group, 10 cases in each group. The insomnia model was made by immobilization method in the model group and EA group. After model establishment, rats in the blank group and model group were treated with fixation and no treatment was given. Rats in the EA group were treated with EA at "Shenmen" (HT 7) and "San-yinjiao" (SP 6) for 15 min, once a day for 4 days. After treatment, the level of daytime and nighttime activity, open-arm entry percentage and open-arm time percentage of elevated plus-maze test were measured; the content of noradrenaline (NE), dopamine (DA) and epinephrine (EPI) in plasma and NE, DA in thalamus and brainstem were detected by using euzymelinked immunosorbent assay method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the blank group, the daytime activity was increased and nighttime activity was reduced in the model group (both P<0. 05); the open-arm entry percentage and open-arm time percentage of elevated plus-maze test were both reduced in the model group (both P<0. 05); the contents of NE, DA, EPI in the plasma and NE, DA in thalamus and brainstem were increased in the model group (all P<0. 05). Compared with the model group, the daytime activity was reduced and nighttime activity was increased in the EA group (both P<0. 05); the open-arm entry percentage and open-arm time percentage of elevated plus-maze test were both increased in the EA group (both P<0. 05); the contents of NE, DA, EPI in the plasma and NE, DA in thalamus and brainstem were reduced in the EA group (all P< 0. 05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electroacupuncture at "Shenmen" (HT 7) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) can restrain the over-activity of the sympathetic-adrenal medullary system to treat the insomnia.
authors.forename: Cisong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qiwen
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Zhendong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kou
authors.forename: Peipei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Yihui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine