Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2013, Vol. 8 ›› Issue (25): 2350-2359.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.25.006

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Molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of acupuncture on neuropathic pain

Ziyong Ju1, Huashun Cui2, Xianhui Guo1, Huayuan Yang1, Jinsen He1, Ke Wang3   

  1. 1 College of Acumox and Tuina, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China

    2 Department of Acupuncture, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China

    3 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
  • Received:2013-06-26 Revised:2013-06-26 Online:2013-09-05 Published:2013-09-05
  • Contact: Jinsen He, M.D., Professor, College of Acumox and Tuina, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China, hejinsen@citiz.net. Ke Wang, M.D., Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery,, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China, wangke8430@ 163.com.
  • About author:Ziyong Ju, M.D. Ziyong Ju and Huashun Cui contributed equally to this work.
  • Supported by:

    This study was supported by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, No. 20100480643; and the Program of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, No. 2011JW13.

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Abstract:

Acupuncture has been used to treat neuropathic pain for a long time, but its mechanisms of action remain unknown. In this study, we observed the effects of electroacupuncture and manual acu-puncture on neuropathic pain and on ephrin-B/EphB signaling in rats models of chronic constriction injury-induced neuropathic pain. The results showed that manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture significantly reduced mechanical hypersensitivity following chronic constriction injury, especially electroacupuncture treatment. Real-time PCR results revealed that ephrin-B1/B3 and EphB1/B2 mRNA expression levels were significantly increased in the spinal dorsal horns of chronic constriction injury rats. Electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture suppressed the high expression of ephrin-B1 mRNA, and elevated EphB3/B4 mRNA expression. Electroacupuncture significantly enhanced the mRNA expression of ephrin-B3 and EphB3/B6 in the dorsal horns of neuropathic pain rats. Western blot results revealed that electroacupuncture in particular, and manual acupuncture, significantly up-regulated ephrin-B3 protein levels in rat spinal dorsal horns. The results of this study suggest that acupuncture could activate ephrin-B/EphB signaling in neu-ropathic pain rats and improve neurological function.

Key words: neural regeneration, acupuncture, neuropathic pain, chronic constriction injury, electroacupuncture, spinal dorsal horn, ephrin-B/EphB signaling, nerve repair, grants-supported paper, neuroregeneration