Effects of Different Electroacupuncture Scheduling Regimens on Murine Bone Tumor-Induced Hyperalgesia: Sex Differences and Role of Inflammation

Figure 2

Graphs illustrating the effect of electroacupuncture (a), (c) or sham EA (b), (d) given twice per week beginning on PID 3 (EA-2X/3) or PID 5 (EA-2X/5) on tumor-induced hyperalgesia. EA-2X/3, but not EA-2X/5 had an early and more robust effect on male (M) animals, but had a longer lasting effect on female (F) animals ((a); 𝑛=12–18/group). EA-2X/3 produced the longest lasting anti-hyperalgesic effect of all the regimens tested. Neither sham EA-2X/3 nor sham EA-2X/5 had any effect on tumor-induced nociception. Data is presented as mean % response ± SEM, *𝑃<0.05, **𝑃<0.01, ***𝑃<0.001, and ****𝑃<0.0001 as compared to the tumor-no EA control group.

(a)   MF Tumor versus MF EA-2X/3

(b) MF Tumor versus MF SHAM EA-2X/3

(c) MF Tumor versus MF EA-2X/5

(d) MF Tumor versus MF SHAM EA-2X/5