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Needling adenosine receptors for pain relief

Nature Neuroscience volume 13, pages 783–784 (2010)Cite this article

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Acupuncture entails stimulating discrete points on the body with needles to alleviate pain. A study in this issue finds that local activation of adenosine A1 receptors in mice contributes to the anti-nociceptive effects of acupuncture.

Acupuncture has been used for more than 2,000 years in traditional Chinese medicine to treat pain and other ailments1. This technique was traditionally thought to work by channeling energy or Qi (pronounced chee) through body 'meridians' with acupuncture needles. In reality, meridians are not associated with any discrete anatomical structures. However, virtually all acupuncture points are located in deep tissues that are rich in sensory innervation1, suggesting an intimate association between acupuncture points and peripheral somatosensory afferents. Although opioid peptides, the body's natural painkillers, contribute centrally to the pain-relieving effects of acupuncture1, it is currently unclear what peripheral mechanisms are engaged by this ancient remedy.

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Figure 1: Adenosine A1R activation underlies the anti-nociceptive effects of acupuncture.

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  1. The author is in the Center for Learning and Memory, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.

    Mark J Zylka

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  1. Mark J Zylka
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Correspondence to Mark J Zylka.

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The author declares no competing financial interests.

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Zylka, M. Needling adenosine receptors for pain relief. Nat Neurosci 13, 783–784 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn0710-783

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