PC6 electroacupuncture reduces stress-induced autonomic and neuroendocrine responses in rats

Zhen Ye; Li Zhu; Xiao-Jia Li; He-Yuan Gao; Jie Wang; Sheng-Bing Wu; Zi-Jian Wu; He-Ren Gao

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15291

PC6 electroacupuncture reduces stress-induced autonomic and neuroendocrine responses in rats

Heliyon. 2023 Apr 5;9(4):e15291. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15291. eCollection 2023 Apr.

Authors

Zhen Ye¹, Li Zhu¹, Xiao-Jia Li^{1

2}, He-Yuan Gao³, Jie Wang^{1

2}, Sheng-Bing Wu^{1

2

4

5}, Zi-Jian Wu^{1

2

4

5}, He-Ren Gao^{1

2

6}

Affiliations

¹ School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230038, China.
² Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230038, China.
³ Department of Pediatrics, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, 066000, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Basis and Technology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine (KLABT), Hefei, Anhui, 230038, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Xin'an Medicine (Anhui University of Chinese Medicine), The Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui, 230038, China.
⁶ CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, and School of Life Sciences, University of Science Technology of China, Hefei, 230022, China.

Abstract

Stress can trigger cardiovascular disease. Both imbalance of autonomic nervous activity and increase of neurohormonal output are core aspects of stress responses and can lead to cardiovascular disease. PC6 as a very important acupoint is used to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease and to improve stress-related activities. We examined the influence of electroacupuncture (EA) at PC6 on stress-induced imbalance of autonomic nervous activity and increase of neurohormonal output. EA at PC6 relieved increased cardiac sympathetic nervous activity and decreased cardiac vagal nervous activity induced by immobilization stress. Also, EA at PC6 reduced immobilization stress-induced increases of plasma norepinephrine (NE) and adrenaline (E) released from sympatho-adrenal-medullary axis. Finally, EA at PC6 reduced immobilization stress-induced increases of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus and plasma cortisol (CORT) released from hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. However, EA at tail had no significant effect on the stress-induced autonomic and neuroendocrine responses. The results demonstrate the role of EA at PC6 regulating the autonomic and neuroendocrine responses induced by stress and provide insight into the prevention and treatment of EA at PC6 for stress-induced cardiovascular disease by targeting autonomic and neuroendocrine systems.

Keywords: Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; PC6; Stress; Sympathetic nervous activity; Sympatho-adrenal-medullary axis; Vagal nervous activity.