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Suppression of the Tail Flick Reflex by Electroacupuncture Delivered at the Intra- and Extrasegmental Needling Points

1987; World Scientific; Volume: 15; Issue: 03n04 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1142/s0192415x87000187

1793-6853

Masayoshi Tsuruoka, Yoshio Yamakami,

Sleep and Wakefulness Research

Electroacupuncture effects conveyed by Aβ afferent never impulses from the different dermatomes, the Zusanli and the Hoku, was compared using the tail flick reflex in lightly anesthetized rats. The Zusanli stimulation decreased the EMG activity, but the threshold temperature did not change. These effects were not antagonized by naloxone (1 mg/kg). The Hoku stimulation also produced the suppression of the EMG activity without the increase of the threshold temperature. However, these effects were antagonized by naloxone (1 mg/kg). These results suggest that intrasegmental stimulation presynaptically inhibits the input of the noxious message in the spinal cord through the non-opiate system, while extrasegmental stimulaton presynaptically inhibits this input through the opiate system.