OA08.03. Electroacupuncture alleviates hyperalgesia by inhibiting spinal interleukin-17 in an inflammatory pain rat model

Methods Hyperalgesia was induced by injecting complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA, 0.08 ml, 40 μg Mycobacterium tuberculosis) into one hind paw of each rat. EA treatment, 10 Hz at 3 mA, was given at acupoint GB30 twice for 20 min each, once immediately post-CFA and again 2 hours later. Paw withdrawal latency (PWL) was tested before (-48 h) and 2 and 24 hours after CFA to assess behavioral hyperalgesia. IL-17 antibody (0.2-2 μg/rat) was given intrathecally (i.t.) 24 h before CFA to block the action of basal IL-17 and 2 hours prior to each of two PWL tests to block CFA-induced IL-17. I.t. recombinant IL-17 (10-400 ng/rat) was administered to naive rats to determine its effects on PWL and phosphorylation of NR1 (p-NR1). P-NR1 is known to modulate Nmethyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activity and to facilitate pain. Spinal cords were removed for immunostaining of IL-17, double immunostaining of IL-17/cell markers and IL-17 receptor subtype A (IL-17RA)/NR1, and western blot to measure p-NR1 and IL-17RA. Results The data showed that (1) IL-17 is selectively up-regulated in astrocytes, 2) IL-17RA is localized and up-regulated in NR1-immunoreactive neurons, and 3) an IL-17 antibody at 2 μg/rat significantly increased PWL (p<0.05) and decreased p-NR1 and IL-17RA in CFAand IL-17-injected rats compared to control. EA significantly inhibited hyperalgesia, IL-17, IL-17RA, and pNR1.