The discharges of pain-sensitlve neurons of the hypothalamic dorsomedial nucleus (DMH) in Sprague-Dawley rats were recorded with glass microelectrodes

After electroacupuncture acupoints" Zusanli"and "Sanyinjiao"

the rate of spontaneous discharges and the rate and duration of the pain-evoked discharges of pain-excitatory units of DMH were pro foundly decreased

and the spontaneous firing rate of pain-inhibitory units was increased while their inhibitory response to nociceptive stimulation was released by the electroacupuncture.The results mentioned above suggest that DMH participates in the activity of acupuncture analgesia