OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic effect of Ziwuliuzhu acupuncture in a rat model of insomnia and its regulatory effect on the glutamic acid (Glu)/γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-glutamine (Gln) metabolic loop. METHODS: Forty male SD rats were randomly assigned to control group, model group, Najia group and Nazi group (n=10). In the latter 3 groups, rat models of insomnia were established by intraperitoneal injections of p-chlorophenylalanine and verified using a sodium pentobarbital-induced sleep test. After modeling, the rats in Najia and Nazi groups received acupuncture for 7 days at specifically chosen sets of acupoints based on the Ziwuliuzhu rationale in traditional Chinese medicine. Pathological changes in the hypothalamic tissue of the rats were examined with HE staining, and the levels of Glu and GABA in the hypothalamus were determined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-mass spectrometry (MS)/MS. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of GABAA receptors (GABAARs) in the hypothalamus, and the expression levels of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD65/67) and glutamine synthetase (GS) were determined with Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with the model group, the rats in Najia and Nazi groups exhibited decreased Glu levels and GABAA receptor expression and increased GABA levels with a decreased Glu/GABA ratio in the hypothalamus. Ziwuliuzhu acupuncture significantly increased the protein expressions of GAD65 and GAD67 and lowered the expression of GS in the hypothalamus in the rat models of insomnia. CONCLUSIONS Ziwuliuzhu acupuncture produces sedative and hypnotic effects in rat models of insomnia possibly by regulating Glu and GABA-Gln metabolism to restore the excitatory/inhibitory balance between Glu and GABA.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Male ; Rats ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/metabolism* ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/therapy* ; Glutamine/metabolism* ; Glutamic Acid/metabolism* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Hypothalamus/metabolism* ; Receptors, GABA-A/metabolism* ; Acupuncture Points

AIM:To study the human brain hemodynamics responses induced by acupuncturing foot shaoyang gallbladder meridian point GB37 and visual stimulation,and to analyze the effect of acupuncture to activate the cerebral functional area in visual stimulus. METHODS:Twenty five normal subjects were divided into two groups:15 subjects for electro -acupuncture GB37 in visual stimulus group and 10 subjects for electro-acupuncture GB37 groups. The blood oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) was carried out under the condition of two dif-ferent stimulation patterns (including a vision stimulation task and point GB37 acupuncture under the vision stimulation condition). A scintillating chessboard grid was applied as the vision stimulation task and the frequency was 8 Hz. The activation of cerebral functional areas of tested people under the conditions of the vision stimulation task and acupuncture were analyzed,respectively. RESULTS:Out of 15 subjects of electro -acupuncture GB37 in visual stimulus groups,twelve health volunteers were enrolled. When the vision stimulation task was carried out,the alarge area of brainstem and posterior lobe of cerebellum was seen to be activated. The areas of limbic lobe,hippocampus,middle temporal gyrus and inferior temporal gyrus were also activated. Under the condition of acupuncture only,the areas of posterior central gyrus,inferior parietal lobule,parietal lobe precuneus and the middle frontal gyrus were activated. When doublesided points of gallbladder meridian of foot-shao-yang were electroacupunctured under the visual stimulus status,the areas of superior frontal gyrus,inferior frontal gyrus,parietal precuneus and occipital gyrus lingualis were activated. CONCLUSION:The functional MRI shows the activation of cerebral functional area after acupuncture. Visual stimulus causes significant changes of brain conduction path connection. Under the visual stimulus status,the acupuncture to the points of gallbladder meridian of foot -shao -yang,GB37 has an extent of influence to conduction path conformity of the vision system and with the treat-ment of ophthalmocace. Furthermore,the external stimulation has prominent influence to the acupuncture therapy possibly.