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Electroacupuncture Enhances Preproenkephalin mRNA Expression in Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla of Rats
Author(s) -
Li Min,
TjenALooi Stephanie C.,
Longhurst John C.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.958.6
Subject(s) - electroacupuncture , messenger rna , endocrinology , medicine , stimulation , anesthesia , rostral ventrolateral medulla , medulla oblongata , chemistry , acupuncture , central nervous system , gene , pathology , biochemistry , alternative medicine
Electroacupuncture (EA) causes prolonged suppression of reflex elevations in blood pressure for at least 80 min in anesthetized preparations. Since the opioid system may play a role in prolonged inhibition of neuronal activity in rVLM, we postulated that EA increases preproenkephalin (PPE) mRNA for prolonged periods of time. Under a‐chloralose anesthesia, rats received EA (1‐2 mA, 2 Hz, 0.5 ms) at P5‐P6 acupoints (overlying median nerve) or sham (absence of needle stimulation) for 30 min. PPE mRNA also was evaluated in control rats that received surgery but no EA or sham treatment. Then, 1.5 hr or 4 hr following EA or sham, brains were removed quickly, stored in RNA Later solution and punch biopsies of the rVLM were obtained for assay. PPE mRNA copies were analyzed by reverse transcription and absolute quantitative real‐time PCR. Relative ratios of PPE mRNA levels (normalized with house keeping gene 18s) were increased 1.5 hr after treatment in EA (9.13 ± 1.54, n=4) vs sham (2.83 ± 0.36, n=5). By 4 hr PPE mRNA levels in EA (3.25 ± 0.56, n=2) and sham (3.65 ± 0.07, n=2) groups were similar. The baselines of PPE at 1.5 hr and 4 hr after 30 min in the absence of treatment were 2.43 ± 0.2, n=2; 3.65 ± 0.01, n=2 respectively. Thus, PPE mRNA increased 1.5hr after EA, relative to baseline, while PPE of sham groups was not altered. In conclusion, EA increased PPE mRNA expression at 1.5hr after EA, suggesting a prolonged inhibitory effect of EA to increase opioid mRNA expression in the rVLM (Supported by NIH HL‐63313 and HL‐072125).