Acute Adjuvant Arthritis Acupuncture Analgesia Effects Of Experimental Research

The clinical practice of TCM has showed that acupuncture has a specific effectof relieving pains, and then it has been wide1y used in treatment of patients withpainful symptoms. Being based upon this, people also have observed thatacupuncture has not only immediate effect but also aftereffect in relieving pains.In this study, a infiarnmatory-pain model was made in rats with acute adjuvantarthritis. KuIilun point was selected and the traditional method of acupuncturetheraPy was used. Then, the acupunctUre analgesia aftereffectS tbxough one time ofacuPunctUre were observed. The experimental parameters were collectCd byradioimmunoassay neurobiochemisny and in situ hybridization. They included painthreshOld in indamed area; the contents of 5-HT and 5-HIAA in cerebral cortex. inbrain stem and in inflamed area; the contents of fl -EP and the expression of POMCmRNA in hyPothalamus.The results showed that acupuncture had the fOllowing functions:1. Heighened pain threshold, and it lnyted more than one houL2. Raised the contents of 5-HT 5-HIAA in cerallral cortex, and it lasted morethan 30 rninutes.3. Raised the contents of 5-HT 5-HIAA in brain stem, and it lasted more than30 minutes.4. Lowered the contents of 5-HT 5-HIAA in inflamed area, and it lasted morethan 30 minutes.5. Raised the contents of 6 -EP in hypothalamus, and it lasted more than 30minutes.6. Increased the expression of POMC mRNA, and it lasted more than one hourIt suggested that acupuncture had immediate effect and remarkable aftereffectto relieve pains. The peripheral and central 5ystems of pain and analgesicmechanisms were related to this process. The stUdy results not only proved theaftereffect of acupuncture analgesia scientifica1ly but also provided importanteXPerimental evidence for further exploration on its mechanism.