Effects of different frequencies of electroacupuncture stimulation on the electroencephalogram and intracranial levels of prostaglandin D 2 and adenosine in rats under propofol anesthesia
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online June, 2025
Effects of different frequencies of electroacupuncture stimulation on the electroencephalogram and intracranial levels of prostaglandin D 2 and adenosine in rats under propofol anesthesia
To investigate the effects of different frequencies of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation on the electroencephalogram (EEG) and intracranial levels of adenosine (Ad) and prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) in rats anesthetized using propofol.
Methods:
Thirty-six rats were divided into the manual acupuncture (MA), high-frequency EA (HF-EA) and low-frequency EA (LF-EA) groups (n = 12/group). After intravenous anesthesia with propofol, an EEG was recorded before and after stimulation at bilateral ST36 and PC6 using 50-Hz stimulation (HF-EA group) or 2/15-Hz stimulation (LF-EA group) versus no electrical stimulation (MA group). The brains were collected after the experiment to determine cortical and subcortical Ad and PGD2 levels. The ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO) was collected for Ad immunohistochemistry.
Results:
There were changes in the δ wave in the LF-EA group and in the α, β and θ waves in the HF-EA group. Compared with the MA group, subcortical Ad levels were higher in the LF-EA group (0.96 ± 0.035 vs 0.93 ± 0.034 pmol/mL, p < 0.05). Cortical PGD2 levels were higher in the LF-EA group than in the MA group (13.49 ± 0.440 vs 12.95 ± 0.436 pmol/mL, p < 0.05). VLPO Ad levels were significantly increased in the LF-EA group compared to both the HF-EA group (0.210 ± 0.0066 vs 0.201 ± 0.0065, p < 0.05) and the MA group (0.210 ± 0.0066 vs 0.199 ± 0.0095, p < 0.01).
Conclusion:
LF-EA at bilateral ST36 and PC6 may increase the depth of anesthesia and sedation, possibly through increased intracranial PGD2 and Ad levels. However, such an effect was not found with HF-EA.
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