ABSTRACT
[Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Joksamni (ST 36) combination on NADPH-diaphorase, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in the cerebral cortex of spontaneously hypertensive rat. <BR>[Methods] The experimental groups were divided into four groups : Normal, Joksamni (ST 36), Joksamni (ST 36) + Eumneungcheon (SP 9), and Joksamni (ST 36) + Gokji (LI 11). Needles were inserted into acupoints at the depth of 0.5 cm with basic insertion method. Electroacupuncture was done under the condition of 2 HZ electrical biphasic pulses with continuous rectangular wave lasting for 0.2 ms until the muscles produced visible contractions. Such stimulation was applied continuously for 10 minutes, 1 time every 2 days for 10 sessions of treatments. Thereafter we evaluated changes in NADPH-d positive neurons histochemically and changes in nNOS, NPY and VIP positive neurons immunohistochemically. <BR>[Results] The optical densities of NADPH-d positive neurons of the Joksamni (ST 36) + Eumneungcheon (SP 9) group in all areas of cerebral cortex and Joksamni (ST 36) + Gokji (LI 11) group in primary somatosensory cortex, visual cortex, auditory cortex, perirhinal cortex were significantly increased as compared to the Joksamni (ST 36) group. <BR>The optical densities of NADPH-d positive neurons of the Joksamni (ST 36) + Gokji (LI 11) group were sig-nificantly decreased as compared to the Joksamni (ST 36) + Eumneungcheon (SP 9) group with the exception of primary somatosensory cortex. <BR>The optical densities of nNOS positive neurons of the Joksamni (ST 36) + Eumneungcheon (SP 9) group in all areas of cerebral cortex and Joksamni (ST 36) + Gokji (LI 11) group in auditory cortex, perirhinal cortex, insular cortex were significantly increased as compared to the Joksamni (ST 36) group. The optical densities of nNOS positive neurons of the Joksamni (ST 36) + Gokji (LI 11) group were significantly decreased in all areas of cerebral cortex as compared to the Joksamni (ST 36) + Eumneungcheon (SP 9) group. <BR>The optical densities of NPY positive neurons of the Joksamni (ST 36) + Gokji (LI 11) group were signifi-cantly decreased in primary motor cortex, primary somatosensory cortex, cingulate cortex as compared to the Joksamni (ST 36) and Joksamni (ST 36) + Eumneungcheon (SP 9) groups. <BR>The optical densities of VIP positive neurons of the Joksamni (ST 36) + Eumneungcheon (SP 9) group were significantly increased in all areas of cerebral cortex except f or cingulate cortex as compared to the Joksamni (ST 36) group. The optical densities of VIP positive neurons of the Joksamni (ST 36) + Gokji (LI 11) group were significantly decreased in auditory cortex, cingulate cortex, perirhinal cortex as compared to the Joksamni (ST 36) + Gokji (LIII) group were significantly decreased in all areas of cerebral cortex as compared to the Joksamni (ST 36) + Eumneungcheon (SP 9) group. <BR>[Conclusions] The result demonstrated that electroacupuncture on Joksamni (ST 36) and its combination change the activities of the NO system and peptidergic system in the cerebral cortex of SHR and that acupoint combination is one of the important parameters for the effects.