title: Hypothalamic Norepinephrine Mediates Acupunctural Effects on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis During Ethanol Withdrawal.
abstract: A previous study demonstrated that acupuncture at ST36 (Zu-San-Li) attenuates ethanol withdrawal (EW)-induced hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in rats. The current study investigated the involvement of hypothalamic norepinephrine (NE) in that process. Rats were intraperitoneally treated with 3 g/kg/d of ethanol or saline for 28 days. After 24 hours of EW, acupuncture was applied to rats at bilateral ST36 points or at nonacupoints (tail) for 1 minute. A high-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that EW significantly increased both the NE and the 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol (MHPG) levels in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Western blot analysis also revealed that EW markedly elevated the phosphorylation rates of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), but spared TH protein expression in the PVN. However, acupuncture at ST36, but not at nonacupoints, greatly inhibited the increase in the hypothalamic NE, MHPG, and phosphorylation rates of TH. Additionally, postacupuncture infusion of NE into the PVN significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of acupuncture at ST36 on the oversecretion of plasma corticosterone during EW. These results suggest that acupuncture at ST36 inhibits EW-induced hyperactivation of the hypothalamic NEergic system to produce therapeutic effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, China.
authors.forename: Zheng Lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Center for Globalization of Herbal Formulation, College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Chan
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, China.
authors.forename: Hong Feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Center for Globalization of Herbal Formulation, College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Bong Hyo
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Center for Globalization of Herbal Formulation, College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Center for Globalization of Herbal Formulation, College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Chul Won
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Center for Globalization of Herbal Formulation, College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Il Je
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Won G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Center for Globalization of Herbal Formulation, College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Chae Ha
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Center for Globalization of Herbal Formulation, College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young Woo
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, China; Medical Research Center for Globalization of Herbal Formulation, College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea. Electronic address: zhao_rongjie@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Rong Jie
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, China. Electronic address: adgzfy@163.com.
authors.forename: Yi Yan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D009638:Norepinephrine
keywords: acupuncture; corticosterone; ethanol; hypothalamus; norepinephrine; tyrosine hydroxylase