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eCAM Advance Access published online on June 19, 2008
eCAM, doi:10.1093/ecam/nen043
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© 2008 The Author(s).
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Electroacupuncture of 2 Hz has a Rewarding Effect: Evidence from a Conditioned Place Preference Study in Rats

Wei Xia, Ning-Ning Chu, Jing Liang, Yi-Jing Li, Rong Zhang, Ji-Sheng Han and Cai-Lian Cui

Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Key Lab for Neuroscience, the Ministry of Education and Key Lab for Neuroscience, the Ministry of Public Health, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083, PR China

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been used to suppress heroin craving in addicts and the conditioned place preference (CPP) for morphine in the rat. The question remained whether EA by itself will produce some rewarding effect. This was investigated using the CPP procedure in the present study. The results indicated that rats showed a significant preference to the 2 Hz EA-paired compartment. This rewarding effect of EA was prevented by pre-treatment with the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone [2 mg kg–1, intraperitoneally (i.p.)], CB1 cannabinoid antagonist AM251 (3 µg per rat, intracerebroventricularly) or D1 dopamine receptor antagonist SCH23390 (0.1 mg kg–1, i.p.), respectively. It is concluded that 2 Hz EA is capable of inducing CPP in the rat via the activation of the endogenous opioid-, cannabinoid- and dopamine-systems.

Keywords: conditioned place preference (CPP) – electroacupuncture – endogenous opioid-, cannabinoid- and dopamine-systems – rewarding effect

For reprints and all correspondence: Prof. Cai-Lian Cui MD, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083, PR China. Tel: +86-10-82801120; Fax: +86-10-82801120; E-mail: clcui{at}bjmu.edu.cn

Received November 6, 2007; accepted May 23, 2008


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