Pei Pei, Liu Lu, Zhao Luopeng, Cui Yingxue, Qu Zhengyang, Wang Linpeng
Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PR China.
Acupunct Med. 2016 Apr;34(2):127-35. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2015-010840. Epub 2015 Oct 5.
While electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment has been found to ameliorate migraine-like symptoms, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests that the brainstem descending pain modulatory system, comprising the periaqueductal grey (PAG), raphe magnus nucleus (RMg), and trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC), may be involved in migraine pathophysiology. We hypothesised that EA would ameliorate migraine-like symptoms via modulation of this descending system.
We used a conscious rat model of migraine induced by repeated electrical stimulation of the dura. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of four groups: an EA group, which received EA at GB20 following dural stimulation; a sham acupuncture (SA) group, which received manual acupuncture at a non-acupuncture point following dural stimulation; a Model group, which received dural stimulation but no acupuncture; and a Control group, which received neither dural stimulation nor acupuncture (electrode implantation only). HomeCageScan was used to measure effects on behaviour, and immunofluorescence staining was used to examine neural activation (c-Fos immunoreactivity) in the PAG, RMg, and TNC.
Compared to the Model group, rats in the EA group showed a significant increase in exploratory, locomotor and eating/drinking behaviour (p<0.01) and a significant decrease in freezing-like resting and grooming behaviour (p<0.05). There was a significant increase in the mean number of c-Fos neurons in the PAG, RMg, and TNC in Model versus Control groups (p<0.001); however, this was significantly attenuated by EA treatment (p<0.001). There were no significant differences between the SA and Model groups in behaviour or c-Fos immunoreactivity.
EA pretreatment ameliorates behavioural changes in a rat model of recurrent migraine, possibly via modulation of the brainstem descending pathways.
虽然已发现电针预处理可改善偏头痛样症状，但其潜在机制仍知之甚少。新出现的证据表明，由中脑导水管周围灰质（PAG）、中缝大核（RMg）和三叉神经尾核（TNC）组成的脑干下行疼痛调制系统可能参与偏头痛的病理生理过程。我们假设电针可通过调节该下行系统来改善偏头痛样症状。
我们使用了一种通过反复电刺激硬脑膜诱导的清醒大鼠偏头痛模型。40只雄性Sprague-Dawley大鼠被随机分为四组之一：电针组，在硬脑膜刺激后于GB20接受电针治疗；假针刺（SA）组，在硬脑膜刺激后于非穴位接受手法针刺；模型组，接受硬脑膜刺激但不针刺；对照组，既不接受硬脑膜刺激也不针刺（仅植入电极）。使用HomeCageScan测量对行为的影响，并使用免疫荧光染色检查PAG、RMg和TNC中的神经激活（c-Fos免疫反应性）。
与模型组相比，电针组大鼠的探索、运动和进食/饮水行为显著增加（p<0.01），而僵住样静息和梳理行为显著减少（p<0.05）。模型组与对照组相比，PAG、RMg和TNC中c-Fos神经元的平均数量显著增加（p<0.001）；然而，电针治疗可显著减弱这种增加（p<0.001）。SA组和模型组在行为或c-Fos免疫反应性方面无显著差异。
电针预处理可改善复发性偏头痛大鼠模型中的行为变化，可能是通过调节脑干下行通路实现的。
