Acupunct Electrother Res. 1989 ; 14(3-4): 197-203.

Relationship between acupuncture-induced immunity and the regulation of central neurotransmitters in the rabbit: VI. The influence of NDR stimulation on acupuncture regulation of immune function in rabbit.

Liu WG, Zhao JC.

Shaanxi Provincial Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

T-lymphocyte transformation ability decreased and the function of the B-lymphocyte and mononuclear leucocyte/macrophage system increased when the activity of central serotonergic neurons was enhanced by the stimulation of nucleus dorsal raphe (NDR). These changes induced by NDR stimulation were not effected by electroacupuncture (EA) when EA was performed on the background of NDR stimulation. By comparing these results with the previous resultant that immunoreactions were affected by locus coeruleus (LC) stimulation and LC stimulation plus EA, some regularity had been discovered. So, a hypothesis was put forward by us that the catecholaminergic system plays a main role in EA regulation of cellular immunity while the serotonergic system plays such a role in EA regulation of humoral immunity.