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Effect of electroacupuncture on thalamic neuronal response to visceral nociception
Author(s) -
Zhang JianLiang,
Zhang ShiPing,
Zhang HongQi
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
european journal of pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.305
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1532-2149
pISSN - 1090-3801
DOI - 10.1016/j.ejpain.2008.04.016
Subject(s) - stimulation , nociception , receptive field , neuroscience , thalamus , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , electroacupuncture , visceral pain , noxious stimulus , nociceptor , medicine , psychology , acupuncture , receptor , pathology , alternative medicine
The thalamus has been shown to play an important role in somatovisceral integration. This study set out to examine thalamic neuronal responses to visceral nociception when electrical stimulation was applied to the skin receptive field (RF) or to ST 36 , an acupoint most frequently used for abdominal pain conventionally. Single neuronal recordings were carried out extracellularly in the thalamic ventrobasal nucleus of anaesthetized rats. Among numerous neurons responding to tactile stimulation, 72 units were found responsive not only to innocuous stimulation on skin RF (60 activated, 12 inhibited) but also to noxious colorectal distension (CRD). Electrical stimulation (2Hz, 1mA) of the neuronal somatic receptive field center reduced the subsequent neuronal responses to CRD in 40 neurons tested. High frequency stimulation (100Hz) produced stronger inhibition than low frequency (2Hz) stimulation at RF. The inhibition on visceral nociceptive response occurred immediately after the stimulation. In comparison with the effect of RF stimulation, the inhibitory effect was less at either ipsilateral or contralateral ST 36 . Our data suggest that, at single thalamic neuron level, stimulation at conventional acupoint is not necessarily as effective as stimulation at neuronal skin receptive field, and high frequency is more effective than low frequency stimulation for the inhibition of visceral nociception.