Abstract

Our previous studies, using cDNA microarray and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, showed that acetylcholinesterase T subunit (AChET) gene was more abundantly expressed in the hypothalamus of the responder rats that were sensitive to electroacupuncture (EA) in the tail flick latency (TFL) test than in that of the non-responder rats that were insensitive to EA. In this study, we hypothesized that the expression of the AChET gene in the hypothalamus modulates EA analgesia in rats. To explore the hypothesis, we constructed an AChET-encoding adenovirus and a control virus expressing only green fluorescence protein, either of which was then injected into the hypothalamus of Sprague-Dawley rats. The hypothalamic activity of acetylcholinesterase was significantly higher in rats that were injected with the AChET virus than in rats that were injected with the control virus. The basal pain threshold measured by a TFL test was not changed by microinjection of AChET or control virus into the hypothalamus when EA treatment was not conducted. However, the analgesic effect of EA was significantly enhanced from 7 days after microinjection of the AChET virus into the hypothalamus but not after injection of the control virus. Furthermore, expression of the AChET in the hypothalamus did not affect body core temperature, body weight, motor function or learning and memory ability. Taken together, these results suggest that adenoviral expression of the AChET gene in the hypothalamus potentiates EA analgesia in rats without apparent side-effects. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

Author keywords

Acetylcholinesterase; Adenovirus; Electroacupuncture analgesia; Hypothalamus; Microarray; Non-responder; Rats; Real-time RT-PCR; Responder

Indexed keywords

EMTREE drug terms: acetylcholinesterase; acetylcholinesterase t; adenovirus vector; unclassified drug

EMTREE medical terms: acupuncture analgesia; animal experiment; animal tissue; arcuate nucleus; article; body weight; controlled study; core temperature; DNA microarray; electroacupuncture; electroanalgesia; enzyme subunit; gene transfer; hypothalamus; latent period; learning; male; memory; microinjection; motor performance; nonhuman; priority journal; rat; real time polymerase chain reaction; reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; tail flick test

MeSH: Acetylcholinesterase; Adenoviridae; Analgesia; Animals; Arcuate Nucleus; Body Temperature; Body Weight; Electric Stimulation; Electroacupuncture; Gene Transfer Techniques; Green Fluorescent Proteins; Hypothalamus; Learning; Male; Memory; Microinjections; Pain Measurement; Psychomotor Performance; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Medline is the source for the MeSH terms of this document.

Species Index: Adenoviridae; Rattus

Chemicals and CAS Registry Numbers: acetylcholinesterase, 9000-81-1;Acetylcholinesterase, 3.1.1.7; Green Fluorescent Proteins, 147336-22-9