Yang Jun, Yang Yu, Chen Jian-Min, Liu Wen-Yan, Wang Cheng-Hai, Lin Bao-Cheng
Institute for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Science, Guangdong Bangmin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Jianghai Distract, Jiangmen, Guangdong 529080, China.
Neuropeptides. 2007 Oct;41(5):285-92. doi: 10.1016/j.npep.2007.05.004. Epub 2007 Jul 30.
Oxytocin has been demonstrated to be involved in pain modulation. Acupuncture analgesia is a very useful clinical tool for pain relief, which has over 2500-year history in China. The present study investigated the role of oxytocin in acupuncture analgesia in the rat through oxytocin administration and measurement. Central administration of oxytocin (intraventricular injection or intrathecal injection) enhanced acupuncture analgesia, while central administration of anti-oxytocin serum weakened acupuncture analgesia in a dose-dependent manner. However, intravenous injection of oxytocin or anti-oxytocin serum did not influence acupuncture analgesia. Electrical acupuncture of "Zusanli" (St. 36) reduced oxytocin concentration in the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus, and elevated oxytocin concentration in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus, hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus, thalamic ventral nucleus, periaqueductal gray, raphe magnus nucleus, caudate nucleus, thoracic spinal cord and lumbar spinal cord, but did not alter oxytocin concentration in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, anterior pituitary, posterior pituitary and plasma. The data suggested that oxytocin in central nervous system rather than in peripheral organs is involved in acupuncture analgesia.
催产素已被证明参与疼痛调节。针刺镇痛是一种非常有用的缓解疼痛的临床手段，在中国已有2500多年的历史。本研究通过给予和测量催产素，探讨了催产素在大鼠针刺镇痛中的作用。中枢给予催产素（脑室内注射或鞘内注射）可增强针刺镇痛效果，而中枢给予抗催产素血清则以剂量依赖的方式减弱针刺镇痛效果。然而，静脉注射催产素或抗催产素血清并不影响针刺镇痛。电针“足三里”（胃经36穴）可降低下丘脑视上核中的催产素浓度，并升高下丘脑视交叉上核、下丘脑腹内侧核、丘脑腹侧核、导水管周围灰质、中缝大核、尾状核、胸段脊髓和腰段脊髓中的催产素浓度，但不改变下丘脑室旁核、垂体前叶、垂体后叶和血浆中的催产素浓度。数据表明，参与针刺镇痛的是中枢神经系统而非外周器官中的催产素。
