An important role of corticotropin-releasing hormone in electroacupuncture normalizing the subnormal function of hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis in ovariectomized rats

Hong Zhao, Zhan Zhuang Tian, Bo Ying Chen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

In the present study, the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at a group of specific acupoints on corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) immunoreactivity (ir) in the hypothalamuses of ovariectomized rats were observed. Meanwhile the blood E 2 level was detected. The results showed that EA might significantly increase the blood level of E2 and GnRH cell number in the ovariectomized rats. The number of CRH neurons was higher in the group ovariectomized with EA than that in the ovariectomized and intact groups. Interestingly enough, only in the group ovariectomized with EA was observed the co-localization of CRH-ir and GnRH-ir substances in one cell of hypothalamic nucleus paraventricularis by immunofluorescent double-labeling histochemistry combining laser con-focal scanning microscope. The results suggest that CRH might be an important factor in EA normalizing the subnormal function of hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)25-28
Number of pages4
JournalNeuroscience Letters
Volume349
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 25 2003

Keywords

  • Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)
  • Electroacupuncture
  • Estrogen
  • Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
  • Ovariectomized rat

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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