Role of opioid receptors in acupuncture induced changes in pituitary-adrenal axis in non-stressed and stressed rats

ABSTRACT

The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of acupuncture analgesia on pituitary-adrenal axis and to identify the role of opioid receptors in mediating these effects in non-stressed and stressed rats. The parameters studied were the ACTH, cortisol and glucose plasma levels. It was found that, in the group of non-stressed rats the acupuncture resulted in a significant increase in plasma ACTH and cortisol levels. Pretreatment of rats with naloxone before acupuncture resulted in nonsignificant difference when compared with rats subjected to acupuncture alone