Wang Y, Wang S, Wu J
Institute of Acupuncture, China Academy of TCM, Beijing.
J Tradit Chin Med. 1992 Jun;12(2):137-41.
After rats received electroacupuncture (EA), leucine-enkephalin (LEK) content in striatum and dopamine (DA) concentration in both brain stem and diencephalon markedly increased, and noradrenaline (NA) level in telencephalon definitely decreased with an obvious elevation of pain threshold. However, a previous intraperitoneal injection of atropine, a blocker of muscarinic receptor, not only partially blocked the analgesic effect of EA, but also changed the effects of EA on LEK, NA and DA contents of the brain. The results indicate that cholinergic system plays an important role in electroacupuncture analgesia (EAA), which may be fulfilled partially through the central LEK and catecholamine (CA) systems.
大鼠接受电针治疗后，纹状体内亮氨酸脑啡肽（LEK）含量以及脑干和间脑内多巴胺（DA）浓度显著增加，端脑内去甲肾上腺素（NA）水平明显降低，同时痛阈显著提高。然而，预先腹腔注射毒蕈碱受体阻断剂阿托品，不仅部分阻断了电针的镇痛作用，还改变了电针对脑内LEK、NA和DA含量的影响。结果表明，胆碱能系统在电针镇痛（EAA）中起重要作用，这可能部分通过中枢LEK和儿茶酚胺（CA）系统实现。
