Local electrical stimulation: Effective needling points for suppressing jaw opening reflex in rat

Effects of electroacupuncture on the jaw opening reflex after tooth pulp stimulation were investigated in lightly anesthetized rats. Electroacupuncture stimulation (45 Hz, 5 msec) was delivered to 8 meridian points and 6 nonmeridian ones for 15 min so as to compare the degree of suppression elicited from each point. Significant suppressive effects on the reflex were observed in the cases of Yin-Hsiang, Ho-Ku and Shou-Sanli stimulation and these effects were antagonized by naloxone. However, stimulation of Hsia-Kuan, Chu-Chih, Neiting and Taichi, although these points were reported to suppress oro-facial or dental pain in man, scarcely produced suppressive effects. On the other hand, stimulation of some nonmeridian points produced moderate analgesic effects as gauged by the jaw opening reflex. The present study revealed that specificity of the meridian points is not absolute, but relative and that Yin-Hsiang, Ho-Ku and Shou-Sanli points were fairly effective in suppressing pulp-evoked jaw opening reflex in rat, which is presumably a noxious reflex. When the jaw opening reflex was evoked by non-pulpal stimulation, electroacupuncture was less effective on the reflex.