The study was carried out on the animal model of traumatic shock which induced by ligating bilateral hind legs. The contents of enkephalins in-hippocampus

striatum

hypothalarnus. diencephalonand brain stem were determined with radioimmunoassay. The results show that: (1 ) when traumatic shock occurs. the contents of Met-enkephalin are not obvious change in the above 5 brain regions

and also not significant change after acupuncture; (2) there is a tendency to increase the content ofLeu-enkephalin in each brain region described above of shock animal

while it is decreased in hypothalarnus after acupuncture. The result suggests that the occurrence of traumatic shock may be related tothe functfonal activities of Leu-enkephalinergic system in the central nervous systern; the anti-shock ofacupuncture may be through a decrease in the level of central Leu-enkephalin to improve micro-circu-lation and raise the blood pressure