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Strong Manual Acupuncture Stimulation of Huantiao (GB 30) Reduces Pain-Induced Anxiety and p-ERK in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in a Rat Model of Neuropathic Pain |
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The phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays an important role in pain-induced anxiety. |
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However, little is known about which acupuncture technique is optimal on pain-induced anxiety and the relationship between acupuncture effect and p-ERK. |
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The pain withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) and anxiety behavior were measured, and p-ERK protein expression and immunoreactivity cells in ACC were detected. |
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Furthermore, the overexpression of p-ERK induced by SNL was downregulated by strong and mild manual acupuncture. |
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The effect of different acupuncture techniques on pain-induced anxiety may arise from the regulation of p-ERK in ACC. |
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Expression of p-ERK in the ACC |
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Distribution and Location of p-ERK in ACC Neurons, Macrophages, and Astrocytes |
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In the control group, p-ERK was expressed largely in laminae II-III (Figure 3(a)), whereas SNL resulted in a wide distribution of p-ERK-immunoreactive cells throughout laminae II-VI (Figure 3(b)). |
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In comparison with SNL rats, animals that received EA stimulation showed no difference in p-ERK-immunoreactive cell numbers (Figure 3(c)). |
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Very few p-ERK-immunoreactive neurons were found in the ACC in non-SNL control rats (Figure 4(a)). |
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SNL induced an immediate activation of ERK in ACC neurons (Figure 4(b)). |
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No visual difference in p-ERK/NeuN double-labeled neurons was observed in the ACC of rats that received EA compared with SNL (Figures 4(b) and 4(c)). |
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Compared with SNL, mMA, and sMA stimulation decreased p-ERK/NeuN double-labeled neurons (Figures 4(b), 4(d), and 4(e)). |
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We found no p-ERK/OX-42 or p-ERK/GFAP double-labeled macrophages or astrocytes (Figures 4(f)-4(o)). |
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Our immunofluorescence assay revealed an overexpression of p-ERK1/2-positive cells in the ACC of rats on day 12 after surgery, and western blots showed a higher level of p-ERK1/2 protein expression in the SNL group than in non-SNL controls (Figures 3(a), 3(b), and 3(f)-3(h), P < 0.01). |
