[The effect of the septal area in acupuncture analgesia]

This review summarized some articles on the effect of the septal area in acupuncture analgesia. The data showed that the pain threshold of animal was increased when septal area was stimulated by electro-acupuncture, and that electrical stimulation of septal area had a marked inhibitory effect on the pain discharges of cells in parafascicular nucleus of thalamus, lateral habenular nucleus, periaqueductal gray and dorsal raphe nucleus. The septal area play an important role in acupuncture analgesia. The majority of the cholinergic neurons in septal area are located in nucleus of the vertical limb of the diagonal band (VDB); gamma-aminobutyric acid of septal area is mainly found in the diagonal band nucleus(td); Dopamine is present in high levels in td and lateral septal nucleus(S1) of septal area; The S1 contain high densities enkephalin-containing neuronal cell bodies and terminals; In addition, substance P and norepinephrine are also high levels in the septal area. These substance above-mentioned have a relations with acupuncture analgesia of septal area. A large number of serotonin-containing neurons are found in the raphe nuclei. The serotonin play an important role in acupuncture analgesia. The serotonin-containing neurons in dorsal raphe nucleus project to S1. The fiber connections of the raphe nuclei with the td are reciprocation. The periaqueductal gray is a important structure on pain modulation. It projects to septal area and receives the fibers from S1. A number of adrenergic neurons are located within the locus coeruleus. The locus coeruleus participate pain modulation and acupuncture analgesia. The neuro-anatomy study demonstrated that locus coeruleus projects to septal area.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)