The Hypnogenic Effect Of Electroacupuncture With Different Needle-retaining Time On Insomnia Rats And Its Mechanism

Objective1.To observe the effects of different needle retaining time of electroacupuncture on the sleep time of Pentobarbital sodium rats.2.To observe the effects of electroacupuncture in different needle retaining time on the contents of Amino Acid Neurotransmitter such as Glutamic acid(Glu),γ-Aminobutyric acid(GABA), and Nitrogen monoxidum(NO) content,Ntric oxide synthase(NOS) activity in the hypothalamus of insomnia rats caused by DL-P-Chlorophenylalanine(PCPA) to investigate the mechanism of electroacupuncture treatment of insomnia.3.To explore the relation between time of needle retaining in electroacupuncture treatment and the effect of insomnia rats.Methods1.The sleep time of Pentobarbital sodium rats was recorded to observe the changes of sleep time of rats in control group,electroacupuncture groupⅠ(10 min),electroacupuncture groupⅡ(20 min) and electroacupuncture groupⅢ(30 min).2.Totally 36 female Wistar rats were divided randomly into 6 groups with 6 rats in each group: the control group,the model group,the diazepam group,electroacupuncture groupⅠ, electroacupuncture groupⅡand electroacupuncture groupⅢ.The model of insomnia rats were established by PCPA treatment i.p and the acupoints of Shenmen(HT7) and Sanyinjiao(SP6) were chosed to be acupunctured by needles.The change of Glu,GABA,NO and NOS in the hypothalamus of rats were observed by Ion Chromatograph and chemical chromatometry.Results1.Compared with the control group,the sleep time of Pentobarbital sodium rats was obviously prolonged in three electroacupuncture treatment groups(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).2.After PCPA treatment,the normal sleep-wakefulness cycle of rats disappeared;but both of electroacupuncture and Diazepam could recover the cycle.3.After PCPA treatment,the contents of Glu,Glu/GABA,NO and NOS activity in the hypothalamus of rats obviously increased with comparison to control group(P＜0.01),but the content of GABA did not change much compared with control group(P＞0.05).4.After Diazepam administration,the contents of Glu,GABA,Glu/GABA,NO and the activity of NOS in the hypothalamus of insomnia rats caused by PCPA had no obvious change with comparison to the model group(P＞0.05).5.After electroacupuncture treatment,the contents of Glu and GIu/GABA decreased obviously in contrast with the model group and the diazepam group(P＜0.01);while that of GABA increased,but electroacupuncture groupⅠhad no obvious change with comparison to the model group and the diazepam group(P＞0.05),electroacupuncture groupⅡand electroacupuncture groupⅢincreased obviously in contrast with the model group and the diazepam group(P＜0.05, P＜0.01).At the same time,the content of NO and the activity of NOS decreased greatly, electroacupuncture groupⅠchanged obviously in contrast with the model group(P＜0.05),but had no obvious change with comparison to the diazepam group(P＞0.05),electroacupuncture groupⅡand electroacupuncture groupⅢchanged obviously in contrast with the model group and the diazepam group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).6.Among the three electroacupuncture groups,groupⅡhad a better effect on decreasing the contents of Glu,Glu/GABA,NO and the activity of NOS,and increasing the content of GABA than that of groupⅠ(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).There was no significant difference of the effect between the groupⅢand the other group(P＞0.05).Conclusion1.Electroacupuncture has mitigated and hypnotic effect.2.Both of electroacupuncture and Diazepam can recover the sleep-wakefulness cycle of insomnia rats caused by PCPA,but electroacupuncture is superior to Diazepam to regulate on Amino Acid Neurotransmitter such as Glu,GABA and NO,NOS.The mechanism of electroacupuncture in treating insomnia is decreasing Glu,Glu/GABA,NO,NOS and increasing GABA in the hypothalamus of insomnia rats.3.Electroacupuncture groupⅡ(20 min) has a better effect than groupⅠ(10 min) and groupⅢ(30 min) on treating insomnia.