Auricular Acupuncture to Lower Blood Pressure Involves the Adrenal Gland in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Auricular acupuncture is used to treat cardiac-related diseases such as hypertension. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of auricular acupuncture on blood pressure (BP) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). The treatment group (TG) received auricular electroacupuncture (EA) at the auricle heart (CO15) and auricle shenmen (TEF3) points. Heart rate (HR) and BP, GABA-A expression, catecholamine, and neurotransmitter levels were measured. The HR was reduced after 7 auricular EA treatments compared with controls (all p<0.05). Systolic BP and diastolic BP also decreased immediately and throughout the treatments compared with controls (all p<0.05). The reduction of BP and HR was reversed by bicuculline injection 30 min before auricular EA treatment (all p<0.05). GABA levels in the adrenal gland were higher with auricular EA treatment compared with the control group at 4 h (p<0.05). Levels of serum noradrenaline and adrenaline were reduced at 15 min after final auricular EA treatment compared with the normal control group (both p