Genomewide Analysis of Rat Periaqueductal Gray-Dorsal Horn Reveals Time-, Region- and Frequency-Specific mRNA Expression Changes in Response to Electroacupuncture Stimulation

• DOI: 10.1038/srep06713
• Publication Date: 2014-10-27T10:04:41Z
• Authors: Ke Wang; Xiao-Hui Xiang; Nan Qiao; Jun-Yi Qi; Li-Bo Lin; Rong Zhang; Xiao-jing Shou; Xing-Jie Ping; Ji-Sheng Han; Jing-Dong Han; Guo-Ping Zhao; Cai-Lian Cui
• Keywords: Periaqueductal gray

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been widely applied for illness prevention, treatment or rehabilitation in the clinic, especially pain management. However, molecular events that induce these changes remain largely uncharacterized. The periaqueductal gray (PAG) and spinal dorsal horn (DH) have verified as two critical regions response to EA stimulation analgesia. In this study, a genetic screen was conducted delineate gene expression profile PAG-DH of rats explore analgesic effect induced by low-frequency (2-Hz) high-frequency (100-Hz) EAs. Microarray analysis at different time points after revealed time-, region- frequency-specific changes. These differences suggested modulation neural-immune interaction central nervous system played an important role during Furthermore, could regulate greater degree than EA. Altogether, present study offers, first time, characterized transcriptional pattern followed and, thus, provides solid experimental framework future in-depth mechanisms underlying EA-induced effects.