Effect of acupuncture on neuronal function in the thalamic reticular nucleus of insomnia rats based on α7-nAChR

SHU Zhijun; XU Yipeng; ZHANG Quanyi; CAI Dingjun; ZHAO Zhengyu

doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20240620-0002

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Effect of acupuncture on neuronal function in the thalamic reticular nucleus of insomnia rats based on α7-nAChR

Study on Mechanism | 更新时间：2025-12-11

- Effect of acupuncture on neuronal function in the thalamic reticular nucleus of insomnia rats based on α7-nAChR
- Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion Vol. 45, Issue 12, Pages: 1751-1758(2025)
- 作者机构：
  
  成都中医药大学针灸推拿学院，四川成都　610075
- 作者简介：
- 基金信息：
- DOI：10.13703/j.0255-2930.20240620-0002
  CLC：
- Received：20 June 2024，
  
  Revised：2025-10-10，
  
  Online First：14 October 2025，
  
  Published：12 December 2025
- 稿件说明：
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SHU Zhijun, XU Yipeng, ZHANG Quanyi, et al. Effect of acupuncture on neuronal function in the thalamic reticular nucleus of insomnia rats based on α7-nAChR[J]. Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion, 2025, 45(12): 1751-1758.
DOI：

SHU Zhijun, XU Yipeng, ZHANG Quanyi, et al. Effect of acupuncture on neuronal function in the thalamic reticular nucleus of insomnia rats based on α7-nAChR[J]. Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion, 2025, 45(12): 1751-1758. DOI： 10.13703/j.0255-2930.20240620-0002.

摘要

目的：

探索α7-nAChR在针刺调节失眠大鼠丘脑网状核（TRN）内神经元活性及神经元上突触相关蛋白表达中的作用。

方法：

将36只清洁级雄性SD大鼠随机分为对照组、模型组、针刺组、针刺+拮抗剂组，各9只。模型组、针刺组、针刺+拮抗剂组采用腹腔注射对氯苯丙氨酸（PCPA）法制备失眠大鼠模型。造模成功后，针刺组、针刺+拮抗剂组予针刺双侧“内关”“足三里”，每日1次，连续5 d；每次针刺干预前30 min，针刺+拮抗剂组予腹腔注射α7-nAChR拮抗剂甲基牛扁亭柠檬酸盐（MLA）溶液（5 mg/kg），针刺组予腹腔注射等量0.9%氯化钠溶液。观察大鼠日间自发活动量，采用神经电生理检测大鼠TRN内神经元放电情况，免疫荧光染色法检测TRN内小清蛋白（PV）

神经元及PV

/突触后致密蛋白-95（PSD-95）表达。

结果：

与对照组比较，模型组大鼠日间自发活动量增加（

0.01），TRN内PV

神经元平均荧光强度降低、阳性细胞数减少（

0.01）；TRN内神经元放电频率降低（

0.01），放电间隔时间增加（

0.01）；TRN内PV

/PSD-95共标阳性细胞数减少（

0.01）。与模型组比较，针刺组大鼠日间自发活动量减少（

0.01）；TRN内PV

神经元平均荧光强度升高、阳性细胞数增多（

0.01）；TRN内神经元放电频率升高（

0.01），放电间隔时间缩短（

0.01）；TRN内PV

/PSD-95共标阳性细胞数增加（

0.05）。与针刺组比较，针刺+拮抗剂组大鼠日间自发活动量增加（

0.01）；TRN内PV

神经元平均荧光强度降低、阳性细胞数减少（

0.01）；TRN内神经元放电频率降低（

0.05），放电间隔时间增长（

0.05）；TRN内PV

/PSD-95共标阳性细胞数减少（

0.01）。

结论：

α7-nAChR参与介导针刺对PCPA所致失眠大鼠昼夜节律紊乱的调节，拮抗α7-nAChR可影响针刺对TRN内神经元的激活作用，并降低GABA能神经元上PSD-95蛋白表达。

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the role of α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) in the regulation of neuronal activity and expression of synapse-related proteins in the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) of insomnia rats treated by acupuncture.

Methods

A total of 36 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats of clean grade were randomly divided into a control group

a model group

an acupuncture group

and an acupuncture+antagonist group

with 9 rats in each group. The model group

the acupuncture group

and the acupuncture+antagonist group were treated with intraperitoneal injection of p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) to establish insomnia model. After successful modeling

the acupuncture group and the acupuncture+antagonist group received acupuncture at bilateral Neiguan (PC6) and Zusanli (ST36) once daily for 5 consecutive days. Thirty min before each acupuncture session

the acupuncture+antagonist group was intraperitoneally injected with methyllycaconitine citrate (MLA)

an α7-nAChR antagonist

at a dosage of 5 mg/kg while the acupuncture group received the same volume of 0.9% sodium chloride solution. The rats' daytime spontaneous activity was observed. Neuronal discharge in the TRN was detected using neuroelectrophysiological methods. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect parvalbumin-positive (PV

) neurons and co-expression of PV

and postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) in the TRN.

Results

Compared with the control group

the model group showed increased daytime spontaneous activity (

0.01); decreased average fluorescence intensity and positive number of PV

neurons in the TRN (

0.01); decreased neuronal discharge frequency (

0.01)

prolonged inter-discharge intervals (

0.01) in the TRN; reduced number of PV

/PSD-95 double-positive cells in the TRN (

0.01). Compared with the model group

the acupuncture group showed decreased daytime sponta

neous activity (

0.01); increased average fluorescence intensity and positive number of PV

neurons in the TRN (

0.01); increased neuronal discharge frequency (

0.01)

shortened inter-discharge intervals (

0.01) in the TRN; increased number of PV

/PSD-95 double-positive cells in the TRN (

0.05). Compared with the acupuncture group

the acupuncture+antagonist group exhibited increased daytime spontaneous activity (

0.01); reduced average fluorescence intensity and positive number of PV⁺ neurons in the TRN (

0.01); decreased neuronal discharge frequency (

0.05)

prolonged inter-discharge intervals (

0.05) in the TRN; reduced number of PV

/PSD-95 double-positive cells in the TRN (

0.01).

Conclusion

α7-nAChR are involved in mediating the regulatory effect of acupuncture on circadian rhythm disturbances in PCPA-induced insomnia rats. Blocking α7-nAChR attenuates the activating effect of acupuncture on TRN neurons

and reduces the expression of PSD-95 protein on GABAergic neurons.

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