Effects of Electroacupuncture on the Modulation of Formalin-induced Pain in the Rat

흰쥐 족저에 Formalin 주입으로 유발된 통증반응에 대한 전침 효과

Objective : Acupuncture is a method used to treat many kinds of pain in oriental cultural medicine. Especially when hetero-segmental area acu-points are stimulated, the therapeutic effects of pain control have more critical properties than other methods of acupuncture. However, the mechanism of pain control by acupuncture is contradictory so far. The present study examined the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) applied to the acu-point of the hetero-segmental area on modulation of formalin-induced pain in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods : In order to apply EA to acu-points in the plantar area of right forepaws, a pair of Teflon-coated stainless steel wires were implanted in HT 7 (Shin-Moon) and PC 7 (Dae-Reung) 7 days before the behavioral test. A behavioral test was performed by means of video camera after injection of 5% formalin ($50{\;}\mu\textrm{l}$) into the lateral plantar region of the left hind paw. EA was delivered by a constant DC current stimulator at 4~5 mA, 2 ms, and 10 Hz for 30 min. c-Fos protein expression was measured in the lumbar spinal cord at 2 hr and 4 hr after formalin injection. Results : Behavioral responses including favoring, flinching and biting occurred in the biphasic pattern, such as the 1st phase (0~5 min) and the 2nd phase (20~45 min) after formalin injection. However, EA (4~5 mA, 2 ms, 10 Hz) significantly inhibited the behavioral responses. Injection of formalin expressed c-Fos protein on the ipsilateral dorsal horn neurons in L3 - L5 and the expression was sustained more than 4 hrs after formalin injection. However, EA decreased c-Fos protein expression at dorsal horn neurons in the lumbar spinal cord till 4hrs after formalin injection. Conclusions : These results suggest that EA modulates formalin-induced pain and this inhibitory action may be elicited by the descending inhibitory system.