Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 1991 ; 16(2): 103-7.

[Effect of electrical stimulation and lesion of N reticularis paragigantocellularis lateralis on acupuncture analgesia in rats]

Zhou L, Tian Q, Jiang J, Wu G, Cao X.

Department of Neurobiology, Shanghai Medical University.

The present study was aimed to investigate the role of the reticularis paragigantocellularis lateralis (RPGL) in acupuncture analgesia. Tail-flick response to electrical stimulation of the tail skin was taken as index of pain response. The first part of the study consisted of four groups: (1) surgical control, (2) electro-acupuncture, (3) electrical stimulation of RPGL, and (4) stimulation of RPGL simultaneously with electro-acupuncture. The pain threshold in the first group was quite stable during the experiments, but increased significantly after electro-acupuncture and/or brain stimulation (n = 14, P less than 0.01; n = 8, P less than 0.001; n = 14, P less than 0.001). The pain threshold of the fourth group increased much more than the second and the third group (P less than 0.001, P less than 0.01). In the second part of the study, the effect of electro-acupuncture was reduced significantly after electrical lesion of the RPGL unilaterally (n = 12, P less than 0.01). The present work indicates that electrical stimulation of RPGL enhances electro-acupuncture analgesia, whereas the lesion of RPGL reduces it. It is suggested that RPGL plays a role in acupuncture analgesia.