Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether stimulation of auricular acupuncture point has any effects on the expression of neuropeptide Y (NPY), appetite-inducing factor particularly abundant in the mammalian hypothalamus. In food-deprived condition, enhanced NPY expression was detected in both the arcuate nucleus (ARN) and the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus via immunohistochemistry in Sprague-Dawley rats. Needling the unfed rats on the auricular point resulted in decreased NPY levels in both the ARN and PVN, while it increased NPY levels in the ARN and PVN of fed rats. The present findings indicate that auricular acupuncture may affect NPY expression in the ARN and PVN of the hypothalamus.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 113-116 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Neuroscience Letters |
Volume | 307 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 13 2001 |
Keywords
- Arcuate nucleus
- Auricular acupuncture
- Food intake
- Hypothalamus
- Immunohistochemistry
- Neuropeptide Y
- Paraventricular nucleus
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience(all)