Electroacupuncture treatment of morphine-dependent mice reduces signs of withdrawal, without showing cross-tolerance.

Morphine pellets (75 mg morphine base per pellet) were implanted subcutaneously in mice (B6AF1/J) and were surgically removed after 3 or 8 days. During morphine abstinence (7 h after pellet removal), the mice were treated with electroacupuncture (EA). The results indicate that EA analgesia shows no cross-tolerance to morphine. Additionally, EA reduced withdrawal behaviour (jumping) in 50% of the mice during morphine abstinence.