Neural Mechanisms Underlying Acupuncture Analgesia

针灸镇痛的神经机制

• 批准号: 6720149
• 负责人: JIN M CHUNG
• 金额: $ 33.22万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MED BR GALVESTON
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-12-01 至 2007-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6720149
• 关键词: NMDA receptors; acupuncture /acupressure; afferent nerve; analgesia; ankle; behavior test; electrophysiology; electrostimulus; high performance liquid chromatography; immunocytochemistry; laboratory rat; locus coeruleus; nociceptors; norepinephrine; pathologic process; spinal cord; trauma

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Acupuncture is an appealing pain control technique in that it can evoke endogenous analgesic mechanisms by minimally invasive means. The mechanisms of acupuncture are not well understood, however, and one of the major problems impeding this understanding is a lack of proper experimental models. The present proposal describes a model of electroacupuncture (EA)- induced analgesia in ankle sprain pain. This model gives a repeatable and quantifiable index of persistent pain in the ankle joint and the preliminary data show that acupuncture at a remote site produces long-lasting analgesia in this model. This is shown by the finding that EA results in about 40% recovery of weight bearing by the hind limb with ankle sprain. This reproducibility and susceptibility to acupuncture will allow one to pursue the neural mechanisms of this phenomenon in considerably greater detail than has previously been possible. Four specific aims are proposed. Aim 1 is to investigate the origin and the fiber size group of afferent nerve fibers mediating EA analgesia using behavioral testing and electrophysiological techniques. Aim 2 is to test if EA induces NE release in the spinal cord by a descending system using pharmacological and neurochemical methods. Aim 3 is to test if ankle sprain induces central sensitization in the spinal cord as well as sensitization of peripheral nociceptors and if EA reduces the level of central sensitization. Aim 4 is to test if EA activates brainstem noradrenergic cell groups, which in turn release NE into the spinal cord. Successful completion of this proposal will unveil important mechanisms underlying acupuncture analgesia in ankle sprain pain. This knowledge can then be applied to acupuncture analgesia in other forms of painful conditions, thereby gaining the insight to establish a maximally effective means of utilizing this endogenous analgesic system. An understanding of these mechanisms is necessary if acupuncture is to move into the mainstream of medical therapy.

描述（由申请人提供）：针灸是一种有吸引力的疼痛控制技术，因为它可以通过微创方式激发内源性镇痛机制。然而，针灸的机制尚不清楚，阻碍这种理解的主要问题之一是缺乏适当的实验模型。本提案描述了一种电针（EA）诱导踝关节扭伤镇痛的模型。该模型给出了踝关节持续疼痛的可重复且可量化的指数，初步数据表明，在该模型中，远程针灸可产生持久的镇痛效果。 EA 可使踝关节扭伤的后肢负重恢复约 40%，这一发现表明了这一点。这种可重复性和对针灸的敏感性将使人们能够比以前更详细地研究这种现象的神经机制。提出了四个具体目标。目标 1 是使用行为测试和电生理技术来研究介导 EA 镇痛的传入神经纤维的起源和纤维尺寸组。目标 2 是使用药理学和神经化学方法测试 EA 是否通过下行系统诱导脊髓中的 NE 释放。目标 3 是测试踝关节扭伤是否会引起脊髓中枢敏化以及外周伤害感受器的敏化，以及电针是否会降低中枢敏化水平。目标 4 是测试 EA 是否激活脑干去甲肾上腺素能细胞群，进而将 NE 释放到脊髓中。该提案的成功完成将揭示针灸镇痛踝关节扭伤疼痛的重要机制。然后，这些知识可以应用于其他形式的疼痛情况下的针灸镇痛，从而获得建立利用这种内源性镇痛系统的最有效方法的见解。如果针灸要进入医学治疗的主流，那么了解这些机制是必要的。