Seo Su Yeon, Moon Ji-Young, Kang Suk-Yun, Kwon O Sang, Bang Se Kyun, Choi Kwang-Ho, Ryu Yeonhee
KM Fundamental Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea.
Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon-si, South Korea.
Acupunct Med. 2021 Dec;39(6):691-699. doi: 10.1177/09645284211011489. Epub 2021 May 30.
Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders and is difficult to completely treat because of the undesirable side effects of hypnotics. The present study was designed to investigate the hypnotic effect of acupuncture stimulation at HT7 on caffeine-induced sleep disorders and locomotor activity in rats. We also evaluated neuronal activity changes in the arousal region of the basal forebrain.
Rats received intraperitoneal injections of caffeine, and then electroencephalogram power spectrum analysis and locomotor activity measurements were performed. Stimulation at HT7 was performed using a mechanical acupuncture instrument (MAI) before caffeine injection, and its effects on caffeine-induced changes in sleep architecture, locomotor activity and c-Fos expression were examined.
Caffeine injection (7.5 mg/kg) produced a significant decrease in slow-wave sleep and an increase in wake time compared with saline injection. Caffeine injection also increased locomotor activity and c-Fos expression in the medial septum-vertical limb of the diagonal band of Broca (MS-VDB), one of the arousal regions of the basal forebrain. Stimulation at HT7 with the MAI alleviated the caffeine-induced sleep disturbance and the increase in locomotor activity. In addition, MAI treatment at HT7, compared with treatment at a location not corresponding to any traditional acupuncture point, reduced the caffeine-induced increase in c-Fos expression.
These results indicate that the hypnotic effect of HT7 acupuncture stimulation on caffeine-induced insomnia was associated with suppression of neuronal activity in the basal forebrain.
失眠是最常见的睡眠障碍之一，由于催眠药物存在不良副作用，难以得到彻底治疗。本研究旨在探讨针刺心经7穴（HT7）对咖啡因诱导的大鼠睡眠障碍及运动活动的催眠作用。我们还评估了基底前脑觉醒区域的神经元活动变化。
给大鼠腹腔注射咖啡因，然后进行脑电图功率谱分析和运动活动测量。在注射咖啡因前，使用机械针灸仪（MAI）针刺HT7，检测其对咖啡因诱导的睡眠结构、运动活动及c-Fos表达变化的影响。
与注射生理盐水相比，注射咖啡因（7.5mg/kg）使慢波睡眠显著减少，觉醒时间增加。注射咖啡因还增加了基底前脑觉醒区域之一的布罗卡斜角带内侧隔区-垂直支（MS-VDB）的运动活动及c-Fos表达。用MAI针刺HT7可减轻咖啡因诱导的睡眠障碍及运动活动增加。此外，与针刺非对应传统穴位位置相比，针刺HT7可降低咖啡因诱导的c-Fos表达增加。
这些结果表明，针刺HT7对咖啡因诱导的失眠的催眠作用与抑制基底前脑神经元活动有关。
