title: Effects of Electroacupuncture on Methamphetamine-Induced Behavioral Changes in Mice.
abstract: Methamphetamine (METH) is a major drug of abuse worldwide, and no efficient therapeutic strategies for treating METH addiction are currently available. Continuous METH use can cause behavioral upregulation or psychosis. The dopaminergic pathways, particularly the neural circuitry from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens (NAc), have a critical role in this behavioral stage. Acupuncture has been used for treating diseases in China for more than 2000 years. According to a World Health Organization report, acupuncture can be used to treat several functional disorders, including substance abuse. In addition, acupuncture is effective against opioids addiction. In this study, we used electroacupuncture (EA) for treating METH-induced behavioral changes and investigated the possible therapeutic mechanism. Results showed that EA at the unilateralZhubin(KI9)-Taichong(LR3) significantly reduced METH-induced behavioral sensitization and conditioned place preference. In addition, both dopamine and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) levels decreased but monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) levels increased in the NAc of the METH-treated mice receiving EA compared with those not receiving EA. EA may be a useful nonpharmacological approach for treating METH-induced behavioral changes, probably because it reduces the METH-induced TH expression and dopamine levels and raises MAO-A expression in the NAc.
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug Abuse and Addiction, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Division of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Beigang Hospital, Yunlin County, Taiwan; Division of Chinese Medicine, An Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsung-Jung
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9135-9577
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Division of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Institute of Technology and Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion Research Center, Chiayi, Taiwan; Research Center for Industry of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chiang-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug Abuse and Addiction, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Research Center for Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Zi-Yun
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug Abuse and Addiction, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Ph.D. Program for Aging, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsien-Yuan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Yunlin, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Horng
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug Abuse and Addiction, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Ph.D. Program for Aging, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ing-Kang
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug Abuse and Addiction, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Ph.D. Program for Aging, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chieh-Liang
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0210-6602
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug Abuse and Addiction, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Division of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Institute of Technology and Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion Research Center, Chiayi, Taiwan; Research Center for Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yao-Chang
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7619-1902
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chiang