An important role of corticotropin-releasing hormone in electroacupuncture normalizing the subnormal function of hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis in ovariectomized rats

In the present study, the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at a group of specific acupoints oil corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) immunoreactivity (ir) in the hypothalamuses Of ovariectomized rats were observed. Meanwhile the blood E-2 level was detected. The results showed that EA might significantly increase the blood level of E-2 and GnRH cell number in the ovariectomized rats. The number of CRH neurons was higher in the group ovariectomized with EA than that in the ovariectomized and intact groups. Interestingly enough, only in the group ovariectomized with EA was observed the co-localization of CRH-ir and GnRH-ir substances in one cell of hypothalamic nucleus paraventricularis by immunofluorescent double-labeling histochemistry combining laser con-focal scanning microscope. The results suggest that CRH might be an important factor in EA normalizing the subnormal function of hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.