ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effect of warm needling on learning and memory abilities and the calmodulin kinaseⅡ (CaMKⅡ) content of prefrontal cortex area in morphine withdrawal rats andexplore the mechanism of its action. Methods Forty clean-grade male SD rats were randomly allocated to control, model, manual needling and warm needling groups, 10rats each. A SD rat model of morphine addiction and withdrawal was made by dorsal subcutaneous injection of day-by-day incremental morphine and rapid withdrawal with Naloxone after addiction. Learning and memory abilities were tested using a Morris water maze and the CaMKⅡ content of prefrontal cortex area was measured by an immunohistochemical method in every group of rats.Results There were statistically significant differences in mean platform escape latency, the number of platform crossing and the CaMKⅡ content of PFC area between the control, manual needling or warm needling group of rats and the model group (P<0.01). There were statistically significant differences in mean platform escape latency, the number of platform crossing and the CaMKⅡ content of PFC area between the warm needling and manual needling groups (P<0.05).Conclusions Warm needling treatment can restore learning and memory abilities in morphine withdrawal rats. The mechanism of its action may be related to an increase in the CaMKⅡ content of prefrontal cortex area.