Open Access

5‑HT in the dorsal raphe nucleus is involved in the effects of 100‑Hz electro‑acupuncture on the pain‑depression dyad in rats

  • Authors:
    • Yuan‑Yuan Wu
    • Yong‑Liang Jiang
    • Xiao‑Fen He
    • Xiao‑Yun Zhao
    • Xiao‑Mei Shao
    • Jing Sun
    • Zui Shen
    • Shen‑Yun Shou
    • Jun‑Jun Wei
    • Jia‑Yu Ye
    • Si‑Si Yan
    • Jian‑Qiao Fang
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: May 19, 2017     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2017.4479
  • Pages: 107-114
  • Copyright: © Wu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

The pain-depression dyad is becoming widespread in the clinic and is attracting increasing attention. A previous study by our group found that 100‑Hz electro‑acupuncture (EA), but not 2‑, 50‑ and 2/100‑Hz EA, was effective against the reserpine‑induced pain‑depression dyad. This finding is in contrast to the fact that low‑frequency EA is commonly used to treat supraspinal‑originating diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying the effects of 100‑Hz EA on the pain‑depression dyad. Repeated reserpine injection was found to induce allodynia and depressive behaviors in rats. It decreased 5‑hydroxytryptamine (5‑HT) levels and immunoreactive expressions in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). 100‑Hz EA alleviated the pain‑depression dyad and upregulated 5‑HT in the DRN of reserpine‑injected rats. Intracerebroventricular injection of para‑chlorophenylalanine, an inhibitor of 5‑HT resynthesis, suppressed the upregulation of 5‑HT in the DRN by 100‑Hz EA and partially counteracted the analgesic and anti‑depressive effects of 100‑Hz EA. The present study was the first to demonstrate that 5‑HT in the DRN is involved in mediating the analgesic and anti‑depressive effects of 100‑Hz EA on the pain‑depression dyad. This finding provided a scientific basis for high‑frequency EA as a potential treatment for the pain‑depression dyad.
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July-2017
Volume 14 Issue 1

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
Online ISSN:1792-1015

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Copy and paste a formatted citation
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Spandidos Publications style
Wu YY, Jiang YL, He XF, Zhao XY, Shao XM, Sun J, Shen Z, Shou SY, Wei JJ, Ye JY, Ye JY, et al: 5‑HT in the dorsal raphe nucleus is involved in the effects of 100‑Hz electro‑acupuncture on the pain‑depression dyad in rats. Exp Ther Med 14: 107-114, 2017.
APA
Wu, Y., Jiang, Y., He, X., Zhao, X., Shao, X., Sun, J. ... Fang, J. (2017). 5‑HT in the dorsal raphe nucleus is involved in the effects of 100‑Hz electro‑acupuncture on the pain‑depression dyad in rats. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 14, 107-114. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2017.4479
MLA
Wu, Y., Jiang, Y., He, X., Zhao, X., Shao, X., Sun, J., Shen, Z., Shou, S., Wei, J., Ye, J., Yan, S., Fang, J."5‑HT in the dorsal raphe nucleus is involved in the effects of 100‑Hz electro‑acupuncture on the pain‑depression dyad in rats". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 14.1 (2017): 107-114.
Chicago
Wu, Y., Jiang, Y., He, X., Zhao, X., Shao, X., Sun, J., Shen, Z., Shou, S., Wei, J., Ye, J., Yan, S., Fang, J."5‑HT in the dorsal raphe nucleus is involved in the effects of 100‑Hz electro‑acupuncture on the pain‑depression dyad in rats". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 14, no. 1 (2017): 107-114. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2017.4479