Acupunct Electrother Res. 1996 Jan-Mar; 21(1): 7-14.

The role of manual acupuncture and morphine administration on the modulation of capsaicin-induced edema in rat paw. A blind controlled study.

Ceccherelli F, Gagliardi G, Matterazzo G, Visentin R, Giron G.

Institute of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, University of Padova, Italy.

Neurogenic inflammation, includes vasodilation, the increase of vasal permeability and edema due to the release of neuromediators from nerve endings. A modulation of the release of neurotransmitters, from nerve endings and neurogenic inflammation related phenomena, was observed with the administration of drugs or of neurotransmitters inhibiting the release of neuropeptides from capsaicin-sensible neurons, among which morphine and other endogenous agonist opioids seem to be effective. The aim of this study is to verify the effect of acupuncture on the peripheral release of Substance P due to the injection of capsaicin in rat paw. The study was carried out on 44 male Sprague-Dawley divided in 3 groups according to the treatment they were submitted to. Group 1 [20 rats] were controls; group 2 [10 rats] was received intraperitoneal morphine chloridrate 5 mg/Kg; group 3 [14 rats] stimulated with manual acupuncture. Morphine is effective in controlling inflammatory response according to other Authors' results. Also manual acupuncture is effective in controlling the edematogenic response in a statistically significant way of comparison with controls.