Electroacupuncture inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 up-regulation in rat spinal cord after spinal nerve ligation.

Electroacupuncture (EA) has long been used to treat pain including neuropathic pain, but its mechanisms remain to be delineated. Since cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been reported to increase in the spinal dorsal horn following spinal nerve ligation (SNL) and it may play a role in the neuropathic pain, we hereby tested the hypothesis that EA may affect COX-2 expression and hence neuropathic nociception after SNL. The results showed that EA (2 Hz) can significantly reduce mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity following lumbar L5 SNL in rats. Immunostaining demonstrated suppression of COX-2 expression in the spinal L4-L6 dorsal horn after EA. The present results suggest that EA may alleviate neuropathic hypersensitivity by, at least partially, inhibiting COX-2 expression in the spinal cord.

Angiomodulatory and neurological effects of ginsenosides.

Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, one of the most popular and valued herbs, has been used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. More than thirty ginsenosides, the pharmacologically active ingredients in ginseng, have been identified with various sugar moieties attached at the C-3, C-6 and C-20 positions of the steroidal skeleton. We herein review the current literature on the pharmacological effects of ginsenosides on the modulation of angiogenesis, dysregulations of which contribute towards many pathological conditions. Regarding the adaptogenic property of ginseng, the effects of ginsenosides on central nervous system are also discussed. Recent researches have pointed to the steroid hormone receptors as the target molecules to elicit the diverse cellular and physiological activities of ginseng. We believe that understanding the interaction between ginsenosides and various steroid hormone receptors may provide clues to unravel the secret of ginseng.