Acupuncture on Sleep Regulation

Abstract

Acupuncture or electroacupuncture (EAc) exhibits various therapeutic functions, such as relieving pain, reducing inflammatory responses, and alleviating sleep disruptions. In this chapter, we discuss the neuronal mechanisms involving the electroacupuncture of bilateral Anmian (EX17) acupoints on sleep regulation. We found that administration of 20-min EAc before the beginning of the dark period increases sleep, including rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non- REM (NREM) sleep. Intraperitoneal injection of a muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine attenuates the EAc-induced enhancement of NREM sleep and REM sleep. This signal is relayed to the caudal nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), since lesion of caudal NTS blocks EAc’s effect on sleep. We further determine the role of opioid receptors in the EAc’s effect. Our results indicate that low frequency (10 Hz) EAc-induced enhancement of sleep is mediated by the μ-opioid receptor in the NTS, rather than the κ- and δ-opioid receptors, while the κ-opioid receptor in the NTS mediates the high frequency (100 Hz) EAC-induced sleep enhancement. The underlying mechanisms of the NTS opioid receptors involved in sleep regulation by EAc are similar to those of EAc-induced analgesia in the spinal cord. This chapter reveals the underlying mechanism of EAc-induced sleep enhancement.