Effects of electrical stimulation of the somatosensory area Ⅱ (S Ⅱ) of the cerebral cortex and electroacupuncture (EA) on contents of r-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

glutamic acid (Glu)

aspartic acid(Asp)and alanine (Ala) in the precruciate cortex (PreCtx) were investigated in order to probe if the free amino acids in the preCtx are invohied in the S Ⅱ descending modulation and acupuncture analgesia.Adult cats were randomly divided into four groups: control

EA

electrical stimulation of S Ⅱ and stimulation of S Ⅱ plus EA. EA was applied at right Huantiao and Yanglingquan acupoints for 30 min and electrical stimulation was given on the S Ⅱ surface. Amino acids were separated by paper chromatography and determined with spectrophotometry.Results showed that the stimulation of S Ⅱ or/and EA had no significant effects on the contents of GABA

Glu

Asp and Ala in the PreCtx

indicating that the four amino acids are probably not involved in regulatory effects of EA and the stimulation of S Ⅱ on the PreCtx