Preproenkephalin mRNA enhanced by combination of droperidol with electroacupuncture.

AIM

To study the expression of preproenkephalin (PPE) mRNA following electroacupuncture (EA) combined with droperidol (Dro), an antagonist of dopamine receptors.

METHOD

The brains of Sprague-Dawley rats were sectioned after combination of EA with Dro and nonradioactive in situ hybridization histochemistry (ISHH) technic was used.

RESULTS

Ten hours after EA, the expression of PPE mRNA was enhanced; when EA was combined with Dro, the expression of PPE mRNA was further enhanced in many pain-modulation-related nuclei, such as caudate-putamen, accumbens, septal nucleus, diagonal band nucleus, amygdala, hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray (PAG), interpeduncular nucleus, substantia nigra, and the dorsal horn of spinal cord (layer I-II and III-IV).

CONCLUSION

Dro promoted EA's action on the PPE mRNA expression, which underlie the mechanisms of Dro potentiation on acupuncture analgesia.