近年来的工作表明

下丘脑弓状核(ARC)、中缝背核(DR)和蓝斑(LC)通过各自发出的神经末梢分别释放β-内啡呔、5-羟色胺(5-HT)和去甲肾上腺素(NE)

参与针刺镇痛和痛觉调制的过程。ARC既参与镇痛

也能接受伤害性刺激的输入

例如外周伤害性刺激可以改变ARC神经元的单位放电。我们在实验中也发现

当刺激坐骨神经的强度达到使细纤维(Aδ和In the anesthetized male rats

we observed that the pain-evoked potentialof hypothalamic arcuate nucleus area (ARC) could be inhibited by "Zusanli"electroacupuncture

but not by needling non-acupuncture point. This inhibitioncould be reversed by microiontophoresis of monamine antagonists

cyprohepta-dine or tolazoline

but not by that of saline. These results indicated that 5-HTor NE could be involved in the pain-evoked potential inhibition by electroacu-puncture. According to the literature

it is suggested that in he mechanism or theinhibitory effect of eleciroacupuncture on the pain-evoked potential in ARC thereare two pathways

serotonergic pathway projecting from the dorsal raphe nucleusto ARC and noradrenergic one projecting from the locus coeruleus to ARC.