[Effects of capsaicin and electroacupuncture on the fluoride resistant acid phosphatase (FRAP) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons of rats: a histochemical observation].

UNLABELLED: 31 adult rats were divided into 4 groups: 1) Electroacupuncture group; 2) Capsaicin group (capsaicin was applied one the left sciatic nerve, the night on of the same body was used with vehicle as control); 3) Capaicin combined with electroacupuncture group; 4) Control group. Pain thresholds, both basal and after treatment were determined. Successive cryo-sections of DRG were cut and the neighbouring section of the same group were performed for AChE and FRAP examination.

RESULTS: Little disparity in basal pain threshold was found among the four groups. The pain threshold became obviously higher after electroacupuncture, but only slightly higher after capsaicin treatment combined with electroacupuncture. In the electroacupuncture group, the number of DRG-B-type cell containing strong positive FRAP and AChE was obviously more than in the control group. In the capsaicin group, the number of DRG-B-type cell with FRAP and AChE activity was obviously reduced as compared with the untreated side of the same body. In the capsaicin and electroacupuncture group FRAP and AChE-activities in the DRG-B-type cells were slightly increased. The results showed that strong activities of FRAP and AChE were found in part of the DRG cells of normal rats, the two enzymes were found to coexist in the some B-type cells. The effect of electroacupuncture analgesia was depressed after capsaicin treatment, while the activities of the two enzymes and the number of positive cells appeared in the ganglion were reduced correspondingly. Nevertheless, under electroacupuncture analgesia AA the enzymes activities and the numbers of positive cells were increased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)