Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Research Article

Analgesic Neural Circuits Are Activated by Electroacupuncture at Two Sets of Acupoints

Table 1

The number of c-Fos-like immunoreactive cells in the nuclei or areas after goats received EA at two sets of acupoints (mean ± SD, number × 10−1/field, ).
Nuclei and areasBlank controlSham controlEA at HousanliEA at Baihui-Santai
CAU9.88 ± 2.088.23 ± 1.359.91 ± 1.658.40 ± 1.30
ACB9.18 ± 0.998.09 ± 0.8810.14 ± 1.5510.96 ± 1.42
LSN12.90 ± 1.9812.33 ± 1.4615.70 ± 0.7714.60 ± 1.90
MSN10.64 ± 1.6410.86 ± 1.8617.07 ± 1.4514.41 ± 1.71
PVH13.07 ± 0.8913.03 ± 1.7618.42 ± 1.9414.40 ± 1.85
VMH8.93 ± 0.788.95 ± 0.8614.31 ± 1.0514.84 ± 1.74
AB8.50 ± 1.108.27 ± 0.9111.61 ± 2.6915.35 ± 2.22
ARC16.72 ± 1.5917.27 ± 1.5522.20 ± 2.1523.17 ± 1.04
HL8.58 ± 0.908.28 ± 1.8415.39 ± 2.3412.22 ± 0.75
vlPAG12.81 ± 0.6212.89 ± 1.3716.04 ± 0.8816.70 ± 0.68
PBN9.38 ± 1.0610.84 ± 1.0814.12 ± 0.9614.30 ± 1.29
LC9.31 ± 2.3910.16 ± 1.6013.65 ± 1.0615.27 ± 2.40
NRM6.68 ± 0.787.19 ± 1.4511.56 ± 2.2111.15 ± 2.67
NTS12.40 ± 0.8111.74 ± 1.9912.34 ± 1.5511.15 ± 1.33
GI4.35 ± 1.704.78 ± 1.657.91 ± 0.957.88 ± 2.04
PG30.37 ± 14.2330.56 ± 8.3151.23 ± 4.4349.79 ± 10.14
SDH8.21 ± 1.188.96 ± 0.9314.12 ± 0.9212.35 ± 0.94
Values with different letters in the same row differ significantly (). The blank control refers to the group in which the goats were restrained as the EA-treated goats without needling and electric stimulation. The sham control refers to the group in which needles were inserted into Baihui and Santai acupoints of the goats without electric stimulation. The nuclei and areas are presented as follows: the caudate nucleus (CAU), the nucleus accumbens (ACB), the lateral septal nucleus (LSN), the medial septal nucleus (MSN), the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH), the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH), the arcuate nucleus (ARC), the nucleus amygdala basalis (AB), the lateral habenula nucleus (HL), the ventrolateral periaqueductal grey (vlPAG), the parabrachial nucleus (PBN), the locus coeruleus (LC), the nucleus raphe magnus (NRM), the gigantocellular reticular nucleus (GI), the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland (PG), and spinal cord dorsal horn (SDH).