SUPPRESSION OF NOXIOUS RESPONSES IN SINGLE NEURONS OF CAT SPINAL-CORD BY ELECTROACUPUNCTURE AND ITS REVERSAL BY THE OPIATE ANTAGONIST NALOXONE

Electroacupuncture reduced the electrophysiologic noxious responses of single cells in lamina V of cat spinal cord. Nonnoxious responses were unaffected. The suppression of nociception by electroacupuncture took 20 min to reach the peak and 20 min to wear off, delays which are similar to those in clinical and behavioral studies. To test the hypothesis that these delays were caused by a slow buildup of endorphins, naloxone was given intravenously and this blocked the electro-acupuncture effect. Additional evidence is reviewed which supports this endorphin-acupuncture hypothesis. © 1979.