PMID- 28316166 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20170717 LR - 20181202 IS - 1009-2587 (Print) IS - 1009-2587 (Linking) VI - 33 IP - 3 DP - 2017 Mar 20 TI - [Analgesic effect and related mechanism of peripheral acupoints electroacupuncture on superficial partial-thickness burn rats]. PG - 160-165 LID - 10.3760/cma.j.issn.1009-2587.2017.03.007 [doi] AB - Objective: To observe the analgesic effect and related mechanism of peripheral acupoints electroacupuncture on superficial partial-thickness burn rats. Methods: Eighty SD rats were divided into sham injury group (SI), pure burn group (PB), electroacupuncture group (E), and sham electroacupuncture group (SE) according to the random number table, with 20 rats in each group. Right posterior leg of rats in group SI were sham injured, while superficial partial-thickness scald (hereinafter referred to as burn) model was reproduced on the right posterior leg of rats in the latter three groups. Electroacupuncture of peripheral acupoints of right posterior leg of rats (equivalent to Zusanli point and Sanyinjiao point of human) in group E were performed from post injury hour (PIH) 12 on, while rats in group SE were treated with sham electroacupuncture, with 30 min each time, one time a day for 3 days. Before injury and at PIH 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72, the threshold of mechanical pain of 5 rats in each group was tested, and the threshold of heat pain of another 5 rats in each group was tested. At PIH 48, brain tissue of 5 rats in each group was obtained to observe the morphology and distribution of astrocytes with positive expression of glia fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in periaqueductal gray (PAG) area by immunohistochemical staining, and the number of astrocytes was calculated. At the same time, brain tissue of the rest 5 rats in each group was obtained to determine the expression of GFAP of astrocytes in PAG area with Western blotting. Data were possessed with analysis of variance of repeated measurement, one-way analysis of variance, and SNK test. Results: (1) Compared with that in group SI, the threshold of mechanical pain of rats in groups PB and SE had no significant change before injury and at PIH 12 (with P values above 0.05), but was significantly decreased from PIH 24 to 72 (with P values below 0.05); while the threshold of mechanical pain of rats in group E was significantly decreased from PIH 36 to 72 (with P values below 0.05). The threshold of mechanical pain of rats in group E was significantly higher than that in groups PB and SE at PIH 24 (with P values below 0.05). (2) Compared with that in group SI, the threshold of heat pain of rats in groups PB and SE had no significant change before injury (with P values above 0.05), but was significantly decreased from PIH 12 to 72 (with P values below 0.05); while the threshold of heat pain of rats in group E was significantly decreased from PIH 12 to 60 (with P values below 0.05). The threshold of heat pain of rats in group E was significantly higher than that in groups PB and SE from PIH 24 to 48 (with P values below 0.05). (3) The distribution of astrocytes with positive expression of GFAP in PAG area of rats in group SI was diffuse. The cell volume was small with cell body unobvious, and the projections were sparse, fine and short. The distribution of astrocytes with positive expression of GFAP in PAG area of rats in group PB was relatively concentrated. The cell body was hypertrophy and swelling, and the projections were increased and extended. The morphology and distribution of astrocytes with positive expression of GFAP in PAG area of rats in groups SE and E was similar to that in group PB. The numbers of astrocytes with positive expression of GFAP in PAG area of rats in groups SI, PB, E, and SE were 44+/-4, 39+/-4, 27+/-4, and 36+/-5, respectively. The number of astrocytes with positive expression of GFAP in PAG area of rats in group PB was significantly less than that in group SI (P<0.05), but similar to that in group SE (P>0.05). The number of astrocytes with positive expression of GFAP in PAG area of rats in group E was significantly less than that in groups PB and SE (with P values below 0.05). (4) The expressions of GFAP of astrocytes in PAG area of rats in groups SI, PB, E, and SE were 1.11+/-0.16, 0.66+/-0.15, 0.34+/-0.06, and 0.56+/-0.09, respectively. The expression of GFAP of astrocytes in PAG area of rats in group PB was significantly lower than that in group SI (P<0.05), but similar to that in group SE (P>0.05). The expression of GFAP of astrocytes in PAG area of rats in group E was significantly lower than that in groups PB and SE (with P values below 0.05). Conclusions: Electroacupuncture of peripheral acupoints can release the pain followed superficial partial-thickness burn in rats at early stage, and the possible mechanism is that it reduces the activation of astrocytes in PAG area. FAU - Sun, X AU - Sun X AD - Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi 563003, China. FAU - Wei, Z R AU - Wei ZR FAU - Xiao, Z AU - Xiao Z LA - chi PT - Journal Article PL - China TA - Zhonghua Shao Shang Za Zhi JT - Zhonghua shao shang za zhi = Zhonghua shaoshang zazhi = Chinese journal of burns JID - 100959418 RN - 0 (Analgesics) SB - IM MH - *Acupuncture Points MH - Analgesics/*administration & dosage MH - Animals MH - Blotting, Western MH - Burns/metabolism/*therapy MH - Electroacupuncture/*methods MH - Humans MH - Male MH - Rats MH - Rats, Sprague-Dawley MH - Soft Tissue Injuries OTO - NOTNLM OT - Astrocytes OT - Burns OT - Electroacupuncture OT - Periaqueductal gray EDAT- 2017/03/21 06:00 MHDA- 2017/07/18 06:00 CRDT- 2017/03/21 06:00 PHST- 2017/03/21 06:00 [entrez] PHST- 2017/03/21 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2017/07/18 06:00 [medline] AID - 10.3760/cma.j.issn.1009-2587.2017.03.007 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Zhonghua Shao Shang Za Zhi. 2017 Mar 20;33(3):160-165. doi: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.1009-2587.2017.03.007.