前列腺素(PG)在人体各组织广泛存在

具有许多生理功能

各种哺乳类动物的脑内均含有合成PG的酶体系。大家都知道PG在外周有致痛作用。对中枢神经系统有镇静和镇痛效应。给猴、猫、大白鼠皮下注射PGE动物表现有镇静和镇痛效应。临床资料也表明针麻效果好的病人在血浆中PGE升高。在针刺镇痛过程中脑内环-磷酸腺苷(cAMP)含量变化只见个别有报道。本实验观察唇针镇痛过程中顶It is well known that the neurotransmitter systems in brain play an important role in acupuncture analgesia

and that the release and me- tabolism of neurotransmitters have an intimate relation with cerebral prostaglandins (PG) and cAMP. In the present investigation the changes in PG and cAMP concentrations in parietal cortex during lip-acupuncture analgesia were observed. The pain threshold of rat measured by K

+

iontophoresis-tail flick test in experimental group was increased more than 300％ after lip-acupunc- ture for 30 minutes

i.e. the lip-acupuncture had a significant analgesic effect. At this time

the PGE concentration in parietal cortex measure by radioimmunoassay was 117.0±7.1pg/mg. It was significantly higher than that in control group (87.5±7.0pg/mg) (P

<

0.05)

while no signi- ficant changes in PGF concentration were observed. The cAMP concen- tration measured by competitive protein binding analysis was 1.65±0.13 pmo1/mg in parietal cortex after lip-acupuncture. It was also significant- ly higher than that of control group (1.02±0.08 pmol/mg) (P

<

0.01). Experimental results indicate that PGE and cAMP concentrations in parietal cortex were significantly increased after lip-acupunctare. Accor- ding to the previous results in our laboratory it is suggested that the re- lease and turnover of neurotransmitters

especiolly 5-HT

might play cer- tain role in the increase of PGE and cAMP levels in parietal cortex af- ter lip-acupuncture.