Effect Of Electroacupuncture On The Expression Of GABA And GluR1 In The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Of Syrian Golden Hamster

Objective:To explore the zeitgeber property of electroacupuncture and theeffect of SCN on circadian rhythm phase-shift induced byelectroacupuncture by observeing the effect of electroacupuncture on theexpression of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and AMPA glutamatereceptor subunit-1(GluR1) in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of Syriangolden hamster.MethodsA total of 60 male Syrian golden hamsters were divided randomlyinto electroacupuncture group,8-OH-DPAT group,photic stimuli groupand seizing control group, 15 hamsters for each group.All amimals movedfreely following domestication. At circadian time (CT) 9:00, 15:00 and21:00 on the third day of constant darkness,animals were treated withelectroacupuncture,injecting 8-OH-DPAT,photic stimuli and seizingadministration respectively, and 5 hamsters for each time point. At 2 hoursfollowing the treatment, the gamma aminobutyric acid and glutamate receptor subunit-1-like immunoreactive neurons in hamster suprachiasma-tic nucleus were observed by using immunohistochemistry and counted.All data were analysed by using SPSS 13.0 software.ResultsThe expression of GABA in hamster suprachiasmatic nucleusincreased obviously in electroacupuncture group as compared withseizing control group at CT9 and CT 21; The expression of GABA inhamster suprachiasmatic nucleus increased obviously in 8-OH-DPATgroup as compared with seizing control group at CT9; At CT9,CT15 andCT21,the expression of GluR1 and at CT15 and CT21 the expression ofGABA in hamster suprachiasmatic nucleus increased obviously in photicstimuli group as compared with seizing control group.Conclusions1. Electroacupuncture is one kind ofnonphotic zeitgeber;2. Electroacupuncture can affect the expression of GABA in haster sup-rachiasmatic nucleus in the subjective day and in the subjective night;8-OH-DPAT can affect the expression of GABA in hamster suprachias-matic nucleus in the subjective day; Photic stimuli can affect theexpression of GluR1 in hamster suprachiasmatic nucleus in thesubjective day and in the subjective night while photic stimuli only canaffect the expression of GABA in hamster suprachiasmatic nucleus inthe subjective night.