Objective : Functional brain mapping study on acupuncture stimulation using the [14C]2-deoxyglucose([14C]2-DG) autoradiography provides quantitative data and visualized pathway in central nervous system(CNS). We aimed to investigate the neural pathway and spatial distribution of metabolic activity elicited in CNS on electroacupuncture stimulation using [14C]2-DG autoradiography.
Methods : The study were divided into three groups by stimulation times. 45-mins stimulation group according to Sokoloffs method, 5-mins stimulation group according to Duncun´s method, and 15-mins stimulation group. ;A venous catheter was equipped into right jugular vein. The rats (Sprague-Dawley rats, 230-260g) were kept fastened loosely on a holding platform without anesthesia. Electroacupuncture stimulation (5 ㎳, 2 ㎐, 1∼3 ㎃) were applied on the left Zusanli (ST36) acupoint and [14C]2-DG (25 μCi/rat) injection was performed through the catheter. After sacrifice, the brain and the spinal cord were made to sections for film image. The film images were digitalized as the isotope concentration based upon comparison of optical densities with that of the standards and normalized by the optical density of corpus callosum.
Results : 1. 15-mins stimulation group was most effective among 3 experiments.
2. On 15-mins stimulation group, medial geniculate nucleus, intetpeduncular nucleus intermedius, ventral periolivary nucleus, caudal periolivary nucleus, medial superior olive, lateral paragigantocellular nucleus, including hypothalamic arcuate nucleus were increased by more than 25% (at least, p<0.05) by electroacupuncture stimulation.
3. Especially, the metabolism in hypothalamic arcuate nucleus was increased by 90% (p<0.05).
4. The fact that arcuate nucleus of hypothalamus might play a role of interconnection area between ascending and descending pathway of acupuncture stimulation was demonstrated visually.
Conclusions : Advanced study on electroacupuncture stimulation elicited significant increase of metabolic activity in various nuclei of hypothalamus will provide the important experimental basis in research of the relationship between electroacupuncture stimulation and internal visceral functions.
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