Auricular Acupuncture in Animals: Effects of Opiate Withdrawal and Involvement of Endorphins

Abstract

T his presentation summarizes the results of STUDY 2 five studies and their conclusions. For details, please refer to the original articles. Ho et al. (1978)^ similarly reported in female mice that acupuncture w^ith electrical stimulation (AES) w^as successful in suppressing w^ith-STUDY 1 drawal signs and that its action may be mediated by increasing the level of opiatelike An animal model for auricular acupuncture compounds in the brain, w^as described by Ng et al. in rats in 1975.^ In animals, because no criteria have been established to provide guidelines as to the efficacy of STUDY 3 one's acupuncture procedure (e.g., the presence of teqi in humans), a behavioral sign w^as used Choy et al. (1978),^ using the same AES instead as the endpoint. In the rat, it was found model in female mice, found that AE A was suethat application of strong pressure, particularly cessful in suppressing the withdrawal signs of to the area of the concha or ear root, can induce morphine-addicted mice. In abrupt witha state of behavioral inhibition that appears to drawals precipitated by naloxone, plasma bear some resemblance to the state of behav-adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) rises to a high ioral inhibition observed in a variety of animal level that can also be effectively suppressed by species under certain sensory manipulations. AES. The concomitant reduction of plasma Furthermore, it was found that this state of be-ACTH level to its normal value and the suphavioral inhibition could be maintained for con-pression of withdrawal signs in naloxone-presiderable periods of time if a rhythmic, low-in-cipitated withdrawal by AES suggest an intertensity, low-frequency stimulus was applied relationship between endogenous opiatelike and if handling and disturbing noises were kept peptides and plasma ACTH level, to a minimum. Using these observations, Ng et al. developed what they felt was a first approximation of an animal model for auricular STUDY 4 electroacupuncture (AEA). This model was used to test the effects of AEA on the withWen et al. (1979),^ in a further elaboration of drawal syndrome of morphine-addicted rats. It the previous study, reported that 30 minutes of was found that AEA could produce significant AES could suppress withdrawal behaviors in attenuation of certain morphine abstinence mice by more than 60 percent. Concomitant to signs precipitated by naloxone.the decrease of withdrawal behavior, there was National Rehabilitation Hospital, Bethesda, MD. 61

The History, Mechanism, and Clinical Application of Auricular Therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine

“…Ng et al (1975) described that AEA can treat withdrawal syndrome but this effect was inhibited by naloxone. AEA treatment can produce significant decrease of certain naloxone-precipitated morphine abstinence signs in rats [ 77 , 78 ]. The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) treatment protocol has been the most applied protocol since 1977 [ 79 ].…”