Abstract
Previously, we demonstrated acupuncture at acupoint HT7 (Shen-Men) attenuated ethanol withdrawal syndrome by normalizing the dopamine release in nucleus accumbens shell. In the present study, we investigated the effect of acupuncture on anxiety-like behavior in rats and its relevant mechanism by studying neuro-endocrine parameters during ethanol withdrawal. Rats were treated with 3 g kg−1day−1 of ethanol (20%, w/v) or saline by intraperitoneal injections for 28 days. The rats undergoing ethanol withdrawal exhibited anxiety-like behavior 72 h after the last dose of ethanol characterized by the decrease of time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze compared with the saline-treated rats (P < .05). Radioimmunoassay exhibited there were notably increased concentrations of plasma corticosterone in ethanol-withdrawn rats compared with saline-treated rats (P < .05). Additionally, high performance liquid chromatography analysis also showed the levels of norepinephrine and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol were markedly increased while the levels of dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid were significantly decreased in the central nucleus of the amygdala of ethanol-withdrawn rats compared with saline-treated rats (P < .01). Acupuncture groups were treated with acupuncture at acupoint HT7 or PC6 (Nei-Guan). Acupuncture at HT7 but not PC6 greatly attenuated the anxiety-like behavior during ethanol withdrawal as evidenced by significant increases in the percentage of time spent in open arms (P < .05). In the meantime, acupuncture at HT7 also markedly inhibited the alterations of neuro-endocrine parameters induced by ethanol withdrawal (P < .05). These results suggest that acupuncture may attenuate anxiety-like behavior during ethanol withdrawal through regulation of neuro-endocrine system.
Highlights
The most commonly reported reason for relapsing to ethanol consumption after extended periods of abstinence is the desire to relieve the negative emotional responses coming from withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, hyperirritability, insomnia and depression [1]
The principle of the elevated plus maze (EPM) test is based on a natural fear of open and elevated spaces in rodents, the time spent on open arms is negatively correlated with the anxiety level of the subject
Rats treated with acupuncture at acupoint HT7 (27.83 ± 3.89%, n = 8, q = 4.18, P < .05) but not PC6 (14.69 ± 3.81%, n = 8, q = 0.89, P > .05) showed significant increases in the percentage of time spent in open arms compared with ethanol-treated control rats (Figure 2)
Summary
The most commonly reported reason for relapsing to ethanol consumption after extended periods of abstinence is the desire to relieve the negative emotional responses coming from withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, hyperirritability, insomnia and depression [1]. The dysregulation of brain CRH systems has been implicated in mediating increased anxiety-like behaviors during abused substances withdrawal [7,8,9]. CRH is secreted by CRHcontaining neurons distributed in different brain regions including hypothalamus, nucleus accumbens shell, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) [10, 11]. Among these brain regions, the CEA appears to be important in mediating
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