Increased corticortropin-releasing hormone release in ovariectomized rats' paraventricular nucleus: effects of electroacupuncture.

Utilizing push-pull perfusion, we examined secretary profiles of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in the nucleus paraventricularis (PVN) of freely moving intact (INT) and ovariectomized (OVX) rats, and in the meanwhile the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on the release patterns of CRH were observed. The PVN was perfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid between 08:00 and 12:00 h, and perfusates were collected every 10 min. The average CRH output was significantly larger in OVX rats than that in INT and INT with EA (INT+EA) groups. Interestingly enough, the CRH output showed a significant elevation in OVX with EA (OVX+EA) group during the EA procedure and further increase immediately after the EA. It is the first time to present the temporal profiles of CRH secretion in the PVN of OVX and OVX+EA rats.