Beneficial Effects of Electroacupuncture on Neuropathic Pain Evoked by Spinal Cord Injury and Involvement of PI3K-mTOR Mechanisms:

The purpose of this study was to examine the beneficial effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on neuropathic pain evoked by spinal cord injury (SCI) and determine the underlying molecular mechanisms of these effects. SCI was induced in rats. Behavioral tests were performed to examine pain responses induced by mechanical and thermal stimulation. Western blot analysis was used to measure the protein expression of phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR), mTOR-mediated phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6 kinase beta-1 (p-S6K1), and phosphorylated eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (p-4E-BP1) in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord. We showed that SCI increased the expression of p-mTOR, p-S6K1, and p-4E-BP1. The EA intervention attenuated the upregulation of mTOR signaling and alleviated mechanical and thermal pain responses in SCI rats. Blocking spinal mTOR by intrathecal injection of rapamycin also inhibited mechanical and thermal pain. In addition, blocking sp...