Activation of reciprocal pathways between arcuate nucleus and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray during electroacupuncture: Involvement of VGLUT3

Abstract

Electroacupuncture (EA) at the Jianshi–Neiguan acupoints (P5–P6, overlying the median nerve) attenuates sympathoexcitatory responses through activation of the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG). Activation of the ARC or vlPAG respectively leads to neuronal excitation of the both nuclei during EA. However, direct projections between these two nuclei that could participate in central neural processing during EA have not been identified. The vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGLUT3) marks glutamatergic neurons. Thus, the present study evaluated direct neuronal projections between the ARC and vlPAG during EA, focusing on neurons containing VGLUT3. Seven to ten days after unilateral microinjection of a rodamine-conjugated microsphere retrograde tracer (100 nl) into the vlPAG or ARC, rats were subjected to EA or served as a sham-operated control. Low frequency (2 Hz) EA was performed bilaterally for 30 min at the P5–P6 acupoints. Perikarya containing the microsphere tracer were found in the ARC and vlPAG of both groups. Compared to controls (needle placement without electrical stimulation), c-Fos immunoreactivity and neurons double-labeled with c-Fos, an immediate early gene and the tracer were increased significantly in the ARC and vlPAG of EA-treated rats (both P < 0.01). Moreover, some neurons were triple-labeled with c-Fos, the retrograde tracer and VGLUT3 in the two nuclei following EA stimulation ( P < 0.01, both nuclei). These results suggest that direct reciprocal projections between the ARC and vlPAG are available to participate in prolonged modulation by EA of sympathetic activity and that VGLUT3-containing neurons are an important neuronal phenotype involved in this process.