A synergistic effect of herb and acupuncture on the methamphetamine.

Background: Herbal medicine Ja-Geum-Jeong (JGJ) has been used for the treatment of detoxification in Eastern Asia. However, the mechanisms involved are not clearly defined. The purpose of the present study was to investigate if herb medication inhibits Methamphetamine (METH)'s reinforcing effect and also examined if a combination of herb medication and acupuncture produces a synergistic effect on METH.

A hypothalamus-habenula circuit regulates psychomotor responses induced by cocaine.

Administration of cocaine increases synaptic dopamine levels by blocking dopamine reuptake and leads to increased locomotor activity and compulsive drug-seeking behaviour. It has been suggested that the lateral hypothalamus (LH) or lateral habenula (LHb) is involved in drug-seeking behaviours. To explore the role of the LH and the LHb in cocaine-induced psychomotor responses, we tested whether modulation of the LH or the LH-LHb circuit affects cocaine-induced locomotion.

Production of Feline Universal Erythrocytes with Methoxy Polyethylene Glycol.

Blood group mismatch in veterinary medicine is a significant problem in blood transfusion, sometimes leading to severe transfusion reactions and even patient death. Blood groups vary from species to species and there are three known blood groups in cats: A, B and AB. While A-type cats are most common, there is a shortage of feline B-type blood groups in cats.

Mediation of mPFC-LHb pathway in acupuncture inhibition of cocaine psychomotor activity.

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the lateral habenula (LHb) play roles in drug addiction and cognitive functions. Our previous studies have suggested that acupuncture at Shenmen (HT7) points modulates mesolimbic reward system in order to suppress drug-induced addiction behaviours. To explore whether an mPFC-LHb circuit mediates the inhibitory effects of acupuncture on addictive behaviours, we examined the projection from mPFC to LHb, excitation of mPFC neurons during acupuncture stimulation, the effects of optogenetic modulation of mPFC-LHb on HT7 inhibition of cocaine-induced locomotion and the effect of mPFC lesion on HT7 inhibition of nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine release.

Mediation of lateral hypothalamus orexin input to lateral habenula in the inhibitory effects of mechanical stimulation on psychomotor responses induced by cocaine.

Introduction: The lateral hypothalamus (LH) plays an important physiological role in brain function and also plays an important role in substance abuse. The neuropeptides called orexin (or hypocretins) have been identified as being located exclusively in the cell bodies of the LH. Our previous studies have demonstrated that mechanical stimulation (MS) of the ulnar nerve produces strong inhibitory effects on cocaine addiction-like behaviors through activation of LH projection to the lateral habenula (LHb).

Nociceptive Stimuli Activate the Hypothalamus-Habenula Circuit to Inhibit the Mesolimbic Reward System and Cocaine-Seeking Behaviors.

Nociceptive signals interact with various regions of the brain, including those involved in physical sensation, reward, cognition, and emotion. Emerging evidence points to a role of nociception in the modulation of the mesolimbic reward system. The mechanism by which nociception affects dopamine (DA) signaling and reward is unclear.

An Increase in Peripheral Temperature following Cocaine Administration Is Mediated through Activation of Dopamine D2 Receptor in Rats.

Drug addiction has become a worldwide problem, affecting millions of people across the globe. While the majority of mechanistic studies on drug addiction have been focused on the central nervous system, including the mesolimbic dopamine system, the peripheral actions of drugs of abuse remain largely unknown. Our preliminary study found that the systemic injection of cocaine increased peripheral skin temperature.

Role of Lateral Hypothalamus in Acupuncture Inhibition of Cocaine Psychomotor Activity.

Acupuncture modulates the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system; an area implicated in drug abuse. However, the mechanism by which peripheral sensory afferents, during acupuncture stimulation, modulate this system needs further investigation. The lateral hypothalamus (LH) has been implicated in reward processing and addictive behaviors.

Paired mechanical and electrical acupuncture of neurogenic spots induces opioid-mediated suppression of hypertension in rats.

While our recent studies have suggested that effective acupoints display neurogenic inflammation and can be identified as neurogenic spots (Neuro-Sps), the optimal stimulation conditions and the underlying mechanisms remain uncharacterized. We developed a combined mechano-electrical acupuncture device (MEA) and examined the effects of acupuncture at Neuro-Sps on systolic blood pressure (BP) in a rat model of immobilization-induced hypertension (IMH) and the mediation of endogenous opioid systems in its effect. Cutaneous neurogenic spots were found mostly in the forelimb.