Objective To study the effect of acupuncture on the improvement of symptoms and spontaneous activities in insomnia rats, and explore its possible mechanism.
Methods The rat model of insomnia was established by intraperitoneal injection of p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA). The rats were randomly divided into insomnia group, acupuncture group and western medicine group, 10 rats in each group, and 10 rats in the control group. The acupuncture group and the western medicine group were treated with acupuncture and diazepam tablets respectively. The insomnia group and the control group were treated with normal saline after fixation for 7 days. Spontaneous activity was detected by open field experiment; The sleep latency and sleep time were measured by pentobarbital sodium combined with sleep test; RT qPCR was used to detect the clock gene and period2 (per2) level in suprachiasmatic nucleus; Detection of hypothalamus by HPLC γ- Content of aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamic acid (Glu); Western blot was used to detect the expression of GAD and GS protein in hypothalamus.
Results The model group rats had typical insomnia symptoms. Compared with the model group, the scores of horizontal and vertical movement in the acupuncture group and the western medicine group increased, the sleep latency shortened, the sleep time prolonged, the relative expression of clock and per2 mRNA in the suprachiasmatic nucleus increased, the Glu level in the hypothalamus decreased, the GABA level increased, the 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); there="" was="" no="" significant="" difference="" between="" the="" acupuncture="" group="" and="" western="" medicine="" in="" above="" indicators="" p="">0.05).
Conclusion Acupuncture can improve the symptoms and spontaneous activities of insomnia rats, which may play a role by regulating GABA Gln.