Objective To study the improvement of symptoms of acupuncture on insomnia rats and its effect on spontaneous activity, and to explore its possible mechanism.
Methods A rat model of insomnia was established by intraperitoneal injection of p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA). The rats were randomly divided into an insomnia group, an acupuncture group and a western medicine group, 10 rats in each, and 10 rats in the control group. The acupuncture group and the western medicine group were intervened by acupuncture and intragastric administration of diazepam tablets, respectively, while the insomnia group and the control group were fixed and intragastrically administered with normal saline for 7 days. Spontaneous activity was detected by open field assay; sleep latency and sleep time were detected by sodium pentobarbital combined with sleep assay; RT-qPCR was used to detect the clock gene clock and period2(per2) levels in the suprachiasmatic nucleus; Acid (GABA) and glutamate (Glu) contents; Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of GAD and GS proteins in the hypothalamus.
Results The rats in the model group developed typical symptoms of insomnia. Compared with the model group, the acupuncture group and the western medicine group increased the scores of horizontal and vertical motion, shortened the sleep latency, prolonged the sleep time, increased the relative expressions of clock and per2 mRNA in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, decreased the level of Glu and decreased the level of GABA in the hypothalamus. Glu/GABA decreased, the relative expression of GAD protein increased, and the relative expression of GS protein decreased (P<0.001, P<0.01, P<0.05); the="" above="" indexes="" in="" acupuncture="" group="" and="" western="" medicine="" difference="" was="" not="" statistically="" significant="" p="">0.05).
Conclusion Acupuncture has a certain improvement effect on the symptoms and spontaneous activity of insomnia rats, which may play a role by regulating GABA-Gln.