[Effect of electroacupuncture on electroconvulsive shock--an autoradiographic study for opioid receptors]

Radioreceptor-binding assay combined with autoradiography technique in the brain slices of rats was used to investigate cerebral areas related to electroconvulsive shock (ECS) and to analyze changes of opioid receptors of these areas in electroacupuncture (EA) anticonvulsion. The results from image processing and detection of optic density (O.D.) showed that repeated ECS resulted in an increase of opioid receptor densities in the caudate nucleus, hippocampus, habenulae nucleus and amygdala. In the group of EA plus ECS, however, the opioid receptor densities in the hippocampus, habenula nucleus and amygdala decreased as compared with that in ECS group. In addition, the receptor density in the caudate nucleus showed a decrease tendency. The results provided morphological evidence of the involvement of opioid receptors in these cerebral areas in the process of ECS and EA anticonvulsion.