It is well known that opioids cause analgesia and feeding elicitation by action in the either periaqueductal gray (PAG) or ventral tegmental area (VTA).
We have investigated that determination of opioids receptor subtype on the lateral hypothalamic area, as feeding center, electrical stimulation induced feeding (LHA-ESIF) followed microinjection of μ-(morphine), δ-(DADLE) and κ-(U50, 488H) receptor selective agonists and physiological saline into the VTA and PAG of chronic Wistar male rats, weighing between 350 and 480g. with stimulation fixed at a modulate level, 50Hz. time to eat three-45mg pellets within 45sec. were studied.
Dose of 10 (but not 1) nmol of three agonists microinjected into the VTA significantly (p<0.01) reduced time of LHA-ESIF, these agonists were almost equally effective at this dose. Naloxone(NLX) reversed the effects of each agonists. NLX was slightly more effective agonist morphine than against DADLE or U50, 488H. This results suggest that all three receptor subtype may be contributed to the VTA fascilitation of the LHA-ESIF, and NLX is a selective antagonist of μ-receptor.
In the microinjection of PAG, morphine (20, but not 2nmol) showed increasing LHA-ESIF, while both δ-and κ-agonists were each without effects. These results indicated that the PAG inhibition of LHA-ESIF is mediated solely by μ-receptor.
It is, thus suggests that opioids receptor subtypes on the PAG, as site of the acupuncture analgesia, might be contributed, neither δ-nor κ-receptors, through only via μ-receptor.

The effects of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) and its selective antagonists (proglumide, MK-329) on morphine induced analgesia (MIA) in the paw pressure test of the Wistar-SPF male rats were investigated. Baseline pain thresholds indicated that the morning (09:00-12:00) testing were significantly higher than the afternoon (14:00-18:00) testing. This result supports that diurnal variation of endogenous opioids. MIA was shown clear (p<0.01) dose-dependent (1.5-15mg/kg, i. p., n=6) manner with significant correlation coefficient (y=3.98x+22.67, r=0.827, p<0.001). CCK significantly (p<0.01) reduced MIA. Both proglumide (5-50mg/kg) and MK-329 (0.5-5.0mg/kg) were enhanced MIA. Especially, MK-329 has shown potently enhanced MIA. i. e. it showed desinhibition to the CCK's inhibitory action to MIA. These results suggest that CCK play important role to the endogenous opioids antagonist via through CCK-B receptors and to the function of the pain/analgesic mechanisms.

Occasionally, remote acupuncture stimulation has dramatic effects on chronic pain, especially lumbago, headaches, and shoulder pain. It is well known that the Weizhong point can be used as a remote acupuncture stimulation point for the effective treatment of lumbago. We investigated the effects of Weizhong (B-40) acupuncture stimulation on normal healthy volunteers and patients with stable, mild lumbago, all of whom gave informed consent. Using chronaxie values (determined from strength-duration curves, together with rheobase and utilization time), single-pulse stimulation (duration, 0.001 to 9 msec; voltage, 3.5 to 198 V) was applied, and irritability was measured at the Shenshu (B-23) point.
In the normal males, irritability/responsiveness at Shenshu was slightly lower than in the normal females (established using the chronaxie value). Weizhong stimulation had no apparent influence on these Shenshu responses. However Prior to Weizhong acupuncture stimulation in lumbago patients, irritability at Shenshu was greater (and/or threshold value was lower) than in the normal group (chronaxie : 0.113 ± 0.022 msec vs. 0.141 ±0.147 msec, p<0.01, n=10 or 12, respectively). In other words, an aphylaxis, or hyperalgesia or hyperaphia was present. After 30 min or Weizhong acupuncture stimulation in lumbago patients, chronaxie values showed a significant increase (p<0.01) (e.g., immediately after stimulation, 0.166 ± 0.022 msec; 10 min later, 0.164 ± 0.023 msec). This effect persisted for 30 min after removal of the acupuncture needles, with the highest values (0.174 ± 0.002 msec, p<0.01) being recorded in that period. These data indicate that Weizhong acupuncture stimulation produced analgesic effects in the Shenshu region in patients with stable, mild lumbago.
In conclusion, our results comfirm that remote acupuncture point stimulation, such as “Weizhong-to-Shenshu”, may be useful in the treatment of lumbago.

[Object and Subjects] We studied the effects of both electrical and massage (frictional) stimulation on the dorsal region (e.g. BL 13, BL21 and BL23) in experimental dietary obese rats for three weeks as a simple obesity model.
[Results] The electrical and massage (frictional) groups showed reduced (p<0.01) body weight compared with non-treated obese rats, the control group. The electrical stimulation group decreased in body weight more than the massage (frictional) stimulation group. Food intake per 100 g of body weight did not differ between the three groups. There was no significant difference in leptin concentration in the blood pre-and poststimulus, but a tendency for it to decrease was seen in the stimulus groups (p=0.074). This might be diagnosed as normalized hyper-leptinemia and /or leptin-resistance.
These results suggest the existence of action mechanisms for weight decrease originating in electrical and mas-sage (frictional) stimulation, which obviously is different from the case of “the auricular acupuncture stimulus”.
[Conclusion] In conclusion, the possibility of a new application of the “ANMA·massage·SHIATSU” treatment was apparent from this result.

[Introduction] We reported that the effects of remote acupuncture point electrical stimulation on the BL 57, BL 58 and BL 60 to the BL 23's response. This study compared the influence of electrical and acupuncture stimulation on BL 40.
[Methods] The effects of acupuncture stimulation of BL 57, BL 58 and BL 60 were examined in 49 healthy volunteers without lumbago and 64 lumbago patients and measured change in the BL 23 response. All subjects gave informed consent prior to examination.
[Results] Pre-acupuncture stimulation of the BL 40 response of male group was significantly lower than female group. Male lumbago group and non-lumbago group of female significantly showed increase (p<0.01) by BL 57 acupuncture stimulation. On the other hand, only lumbago female group showed significantly increased (p<0.05) by BL 60 acupuncture stimulation, while lumbago patients remarkably influence showed that than non-lumbago group for the acupuncture stimulation.
These results indicate that acupuncture stimulation provides a stronger effect than electrical stimulation showed by the responding pattern of BL 23 after BL 57, 58 and 60 stimulation.
[Conclusion] The responsiveness of BL 23 might be variously influenced by the existence of lumbago, and gender difference following BL 57, BL 58 and BL 60 acupuncture stimulus along the BL meridian compared to the effects of electrical stimulation. Furthermore, the roles and mechanisms appeared different.

The effects of auricular acupuncture stimulation on non-obese healthy volunteers were tested. Subjects (n=35) averaged 31.5 (17-57) years old, and average BMI was 25.3 (19.2-35.7) kg/m². Small (2.0×0.15mm) auricular needles were applied intracutaneously into the bilateral cavum conchae, a vagally (Arnold n.) innervated region that was identified by having low resistance (27.1-345.5kΩ/cm²), for six weeks. Body weight was measured four times a day, and was charted by the subjects themselves.
Results showed that, in the period of without auricular stimulation, only body weight was measured and charted, 31.4% of the subjects reduced their body weight. In the auricular acupuncture treated period, 19 out of 27 subjects (70.4%) decreased (p<0.01), 4 (14.8%) increased, and4 (14.8%) had no change in their body weights.
In conclusion, the results suggest that success in maintaining weight reduction can be attributed to graphic illustration of ones weight pattern. Bilateral auricular acupuncture stimulation can also reduced the body weight of healthy non-obese subjects. This is consistent with the suggestion that daily charting of body weight and auricular acupuncture might be effective in the treatment of obese patients.

INTRODUCTION : It has been suspected that the BL40 (Weizhong, Ichu) point could be used as a remote acupuncture stimulation point for the effective treatment of lumbago, because traditional remote acupuncture stimulation has shown, on occasion, dramatic effects for relieving chronic pain, especially lumbago, headaches and shoulder pain. We have reported that remote acupuncture point stimulation, such as “BL40-to-BL23 (Shenshu, Jinyu)” might be useful in the treatment of lumbago. An experiment was designed to identify the most effective points on the Bladder Meridian.
METHODS : We tested the electrical stimulation of BL57 (Chengshan, Shozan), BL58 (Feiyang, Hiyo) and BL60 (Kunlun, Konron) as far-points on the BL23 (Shenshu, Jinyu) in patients with slight to mild cases of lumago (24 adults, average age 31.2 y-o), who had given their informed consent beforehand. RESULTS : It was found that the respondent value (96.4 ± 4.8V, n=12) of BL40 on pre- stimulation in the male group was lower than that in the female group (86.1± 4.7V, n=12; p=0.07). When BL57 of lumbago patients was stimulated, the responsiveness of BL23 increased significantly in the male group (y=-0.04x+94.99; r=0.35, p<0.05), but declined in the female group (y=0.07x+102.55; r=0.44, p<0.01). When BL58 was stimulated, it had no apparent effect on the responsiveness of the male group, but that of the female group was reduced (y=-0.13x+99.00; r=0.85, p<0.001). In contrast, the responsiveness of BL23 to BL60 stimulation did not change in the male group but increased in the female group (y=0.12x+100.24; r=0.71, p<0.001). These results indicate that the stimulation on BL57, BL58 and BL60, which are far-points from BL23, had widely different effects on the responding pattern of BL23 in patients with lumbago.
CONCLUSION : The results confirm that remote acupuncture point stimulation might be valuable in the treatment of lumbago.

We have investigated that individual properties and irritability to the electrical stimulation of Wenliu (Li-7) were determined by acupuncture of Hegu (Li-4) and Quchi (Li-11) as the strength-duration relations.
Results showed that reobase (27.8±1.09V, n=114), utilization time (1.38±0.13ms, n=114) and chronaxie (0.031±0.002ms, n=114), were interestingly similar as previous results of in vitro studies.
Value of chronaxie of female subjects (0.021±0.001ms, n=21) was significantly lower than male (0.053±0.010ms, n=36). So that acupuncture stimulation influenced to the chronaxie.
Hegu stimulation significantly (p<0.05) shortend than Quchi stimulation as compared to intact control group.
These results might be suggested that it has to considered responses to stimulation in the sex differences when determination of acupuncture effects in the clinical and/or research studies.