Electroacupuncture alters catecholamines in brain regions of rats.

Electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation mediated the release of [3H]norepinephrine (NE) from synaptosomes prelabeled with [3H]NE. The pulse release of [3H]NE by EA stimulation was dependent on the presence of Ca2+. Treatment of rats with EA for 30 min at 4 Hz did not significantly alter the dopamine (DA) content in hypothalamus, cerebellum, pons, midbrain, and cerebral cortex regions, but the DA level was decreased by 20% in caudate nucleus. The NE level was found to increase by 43% in caudate nucleus and 38% in hypothalamus. The results indicate that only certain neuronal pathways are affected by the EA treatment, and that NE and DA may respond differently to such stimulation.