Elsevier

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 377, Issue 3, 4 April 2005, Pages 185-188
Neuroscience Letters

Involvement of ionotropic glutamate receptors in low frequency electroacupuncture analgesia in rats

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2004.11.095Get rights and content

Abstract

The present study was conducted to determine whether blockage of both N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-proprionic acid/kainate (AMPA/KA) receptors influences the induction of low frequency electroacupuncture (EA) analgesia. Although neither intrathecal injection of NMDA antagonist d-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (d-AP-5) or AMPA/KA antagonist 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6-nitro-2,3-dioxo-benzo[f]quinoxaline-7-sulfonami-de (NBQX) disodium alone had an effect on analgesia, spinal application of d-AP-5 and NBQX disodium significantly prevented analgesia induced by 2 Hz EA. The intrathecal injection of the excitatory amino acid NMDA produced analgesia for several minutes after intrathecal injection, as did EA stimulation. These results suggest that ionotropic glutamate receptors may be involved in the induction of 2 Hz EA analgesia.

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Acknowledgement

This study was supported by a grant of the Oriental Medicine R&D Project, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea (02-PJ9-PG3-20600-0005).

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