Electroacupuncture inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 up-regulation in rat spinal cord after spinal nerve ligation

Wai Kit Lau; Wai Kei Nickie Chan; Jianliang Zhang; Kin Lam Yung; Hong Qi Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.06.016

Electroacupuncture inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 up-regulation in rat spinal cord after spinal nerve ligation

Wai Kit Lau, Wai Kei Nickie Chan, Jianliang Zhang, Kin Lam Yung, Hong Qi Zhang^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review

23 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Electroacupuncture (EA) has long been used to treat pain including neuropathic pain, but its mechanisms remain to be delineated. Since cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been reported to increase in the spinal dorsal horn following spinal nerve ligation (SNL) and it may play a role in the neuropathic pain, we hereby tested the hypothesis that EA may affect COX-2 expression and hence neuropathic nociception after SNL. The results showed that EA (2 Hz) can significantly reduce mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity following lumbar L5 SNL in rats. Immunostaining demonstrated suppression of COX-2 expression in the spinal L4-L6 dorsal horn after EA. The present results suggest that EA may alleviate neuropathic hypersensitivity by, at least partially, inhibiting COX-2 expression in the spinal cord.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	463-468
Number of pages	6
Journal	Neuroscience
Volume	155
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.06.016
Publication status	Published - 13 Aug 2008

Scopus Subject Areas

Neuroscience(all)

User-Defined Keywords

COX-2
electroacupuncture
neuropathic pain
spinal dorsal horn

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10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.06.016

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title = "Electroacupuncture inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 up-regulation in rat spinal cord after spinal nerve ligation",

abstract = "Electroacupuncture (EA) has long been used to treat pain including neuropathic pain, but its mechanisms remain to be delineated. Since cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been reported to increase in the spinal dorsal horn following spinal nerve ligation (SNL) and it may play a role in the neuropathic pain, we hereby tested the hypothesis that EA may affect COX-2 expression and hence neuropathic nociception after SNL. The results showed that EA (2 Hz) can significantly reduce mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity following lumbar L5 SNL in rats. Immunostaining demonstrated suppression of COX-2 expression in the spinal L4-L6 dorsal horn after EA. The present results suggest that EA may alleviate neuropathic hypersensitivity by, at least partially, inhibiting COX-2 expression in the spinal cord.",

keywords = "COX-2, electroacupuncture, neuropathic pain, spinal dorsal horn",

author = "Lau, {Wai Kit} and Chan, {Wai Kei Nickie} and Jianliang Zhang and Yung, {Kin Lam} and Zhang, {Hong Qi}",

note = "Funding Information: The work was supported by HKBU SCM postdoctoral fellowship from WoFoo foundation, and HKBU FRG04-05/II-25.",

year = "2008",

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doi = "10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.06.016",

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T1 - Electroacupuncture inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 up-regulation in rat spinal cord after spinal nerve ligation

AU - Lau, Wai Kit

AU - Chan, Wai Kei Nickie

AU - Zhang, Jianliang

AU - Yung, Kin Lam

AU - Zhang, Hong Qi

N1 - Funding Information: The work was supported by HKBU SCM postdoctoral fellowship from WoFoo foundation, and HKBU FRG04-05/II-25.

PY - 2008/8/13

Y1 - 2008/8/13

N2 - Electroacupuncture (EA) has long been used to treat pain including neuropathic pain, but its mechanisms remain to be delineated. Since cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been reported to increase in the spinal dorsal horn following spinal nerve ligation (SNL) and it may play a role in the neuropathic pain, we hereby tested the hypothesis that EA may affect COX-2 expression and hence neuropathic nociception after SNL. The results showed that EA (2 Hz) can significantly reduce mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity following lumbar L5 SNL in rats. Immunostaining demonstrated suppression of COX-2 expression in the spinal L4-L6 dorsal horn after EA. The present results suggest that EA may alleviate neuropathic hypersensitivity by, at least partially, inhibiting COX-2 expression in the spinal cord.

AB - Electroacupuncture (EA) has long been used to treat pain including neuropathic pain, but its mechanisms remain to be delineated. Since cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been reported to increase in the spinal dorsal horn following spinal nerve ligation (SNL) and it may play a role in the neuropathic pain, we hereby tested the hypothesis that EA may affect COX-2 expression and hence neuropathic nociception after SNL. The results showed that EA (2 Hz) can significantly reduce mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity following lumbar L5 SNL in rats. Immunostaining demonstrated suppression of COX-2 expression in the spinal L4-L6 dorsal horn after EA. The present results suggest that EA may alleviate neuropathic hypersensitivity by, at least partially, inhibiting COX-2 expression in the spinal cord.

KW - COX-2

KW - electroacupuncture

KW - neuropathic pain

KW - spinal dorsal horn

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Electroacupuncture inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 up-regulation in rat spinal cord after spinal nerve ligation

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