Neuroscience letters
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Neuroscience letters · Jan 2009
Effects of electro-acupuncture on NT-4 expression in spinal dorsal root ganglion and associated segments of the spinal dorsal horn in cats subjected to adjacent dorsal root ganglionectomy.
It is well known that neuroplasticity occurs in the central nervous system in response to injury. Electro-acupuncture (EA) may also promote neuroplasticity. But little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms for the beneficial effects of EA. ⋯ Adjacent ganglionectomy leads to a significant decrease in NT-4 expression in the L(6) DRG, but no change in the spinal dorsal horn. Following EA treatment a significant increase occurred in the L(6) DRG at 14 days post-operation (dpo) as well as the L(6) cord segment at 7 and 14 dpo. These findings pointed to a possible association between NT-4 expression and EA promoted spinal cord plasticity in adult cats subjected to partial ganglionectomy.
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Neuroscience letters · Jan 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialThe neural substrates of verum acupuncture compared to non-penetrating placebo needle: an fMRI study.
Acupuncture, an ancient East Asian therapeutic technique, is currently emerging as an important modality in complementary and alternative medicine around the world. Several studies have provided useful information regarding neurophysiological mechanisms of acupuncture in human brain activation. We explored brain activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and compared verum acupuncture to placebo needles. ⋯ Verum acupuncture stimulation elicited significant activation in both motor function-related brain areas, including the caudate, claustrum, and cerebellum, and limbic-related structures, such as the medial frontal gyrus, the cingulate gyrus, and the fusiform gyrus. These findings suggest that acupuncture not only elicited acupoint-implicated brain activation, but also modulated the affective components of the pain matrix. The current investigation of the specific pattern of the brain activation related to genuine acupuncture provides new information regarding the neurobiological basis of acupuncture.
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Neuroscience letters · Jan 2009
The intracellular mobility of NPY and a putative mitochondrial form of NPY in neuronal cells.
Preproneuropeptide Y is a precursor peptide to mature neuropeptide Y (NPY), which is a universally expressed peptide in the central and peripheral nervous system. NPY is normally routed to endoplasmic reticulum and secretory vesicles in cells, which secrete NPY. In our previous studies, we found a functional Leucine7 to Proline7 (L7P) polymorphism in the signal peptide sequence of preproNPY. ⋯ The mobility in the cells with the putative mitochondrial construct was found to be very low. According to the results of the present study, the mitochondrial truncated peptide stays in the mitochondrion. It can be hypothesized that this could be one of the factors affecting energy balance of the membranes of the mitochondrion.
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Neuroscience letters · Jan 2009
Spinal cord stimulation induces c-Fos expression in the dorsal horn in rats with neuropathic pain after partial sciatic nerve injury.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an established treatment for intractable neuropathic pain, especially CRPS-1. The mechanisms of action of SCS have only been partly elucidated and include suppression of the hyper-excitability of the Wide Dynamic Range neurons and a GABA increase in the dorsal horn. In the present study we demonstrate an increase of c-Fos immunoreactive cells in the dorsal horn after SCS, suggesting early cellular activation that may preclude earlier described electrophysiological and biochemical changes in the dorsal horn after SCS. ⋯ A sham group (n=6) also had a SCS device implanted, but did not receive SCS. After SCS the animals were perfused and histology was performed for quantification of c-Fos immunoreactivity in the dorsal horns. We found a significant increase in c-Fos in the SCS group compared to our sham group and control tissue, indicating late cellular activity in the dorsal horn after SCS.
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Neuroscience letters · Jan 2009
Low-frequency electro-acupuncture reduces the nociceptive response and the pain mediator enhancement induced by nerve growth factor.
A number of studies have shown that the potential clinical benefits of nerve growth factor (NGF) administration are limited by its hyperalgesic side effects. The ancient therapeutic technique of acupuncture and its modern derivate electro-acupuncture (EA) have been proven effective in reducing hyperalgesia as well as nociceptive and neuropathic pain in several pathological conditions. The present study addresses the question of whether EA can influence the hyperalgesia induced by NGF administration. ⋯ We found that EA was able to counteract the NGF-induced hyperalgesic response when assessed by a hot plate test. Moreover, EA counteracted the NGF-driven variation of substance P (SP) and transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) response in both hind-paw skin as well as the corresponding dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Our findings indicate that low-frequency EA could be useful as a supportive therapy to reduce NGF-induced side effects, such as hypersensitivity and hyperalgesia, when clinical treatment with NGF is necessary.