Zhongguo Yao Li Xue Bao. 1995 Jul; 16(4): 311-4.

Binding sites of mu receptor increased when acupuncture analgesia was enhanced by droperidol: an autoradiographic study.

Zhu CB, Li XY, Zhu YH, Xu SF.

Department of Neurobiology, Shanghai Medical University, China.

AIM: To study if mu receptor participates in the process of potentiation of droperidol (Dro) on acupuncture analgesia (AA). METHODS: Autoradiographic technic was used. Ohmefentanyl, a highly selective ligand of mu receptors, was used in radio-receptor binding assay in Sprague-Dawley rat brain sections. RESULTS: The binding sites of [beta-3H, p-benzoyl-3H]ohmefentanyl were increased greatly in many nuclei of rat brain after AA, and were further increased when AA was enhanced by Dro. Higher increase was seen in caudate nucleus, accumbens, periaqueductal gray (PAG), interpeduncular nucleus, amygdala (P < 0.01 vs rats treated with electroacupuncture alone); moderate increase was noted in thalamus, lateral area of hypothalamus, spinal dorsal horn (P < 0.01 or 0.05); slight increase appeared in septum, preoptic area, hippocampus, substantia nigra (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Mu opioid receptors mediated the Dro-induced enhancement of AA.