Figure 6.

Modulation by pharmacological antagonists and acupuncture family procedures of acute thermal hypersensitivity caused by local injection of Bz‐ATP. At −30 min, Bz‐ATP (20, 50, 100, and 200 nM) was injected into the left hind paw of rats. In another series of experiments, Bz‐ATP (50 nM) was injected together with A‐438079 (300 nM) or A‐317491 (300 nM) at the −30 min time point, or EAP/moxibustion, both for 30 min, were delivered to the Zusanli acupoint (ST36) of rats at the ipsilateral side, after injecting Bz‐ATP (50 nM). PWL measurement was as in Figure 1. (a–c) Eighty rats were used to generate the data present below. The time‐dependent effects of the Bz‐ATP doses indicated are shown on the PWL (a); the effects of Bz‐ATP (50 nM) applied together with A‐438079 or A‐317491 (b), and EAP or moxibustion for 30 min (c), are also displayed. In addition, Bz‐ATP (100 nM) or PBS was injected to the Zusanli acupoint of P2X7^−/− (KO) and P2X7^+/+ wild‐type (WT) mice. Bz‐ATP decreased the PWL of the WT group of animals only (d). For comparison, the change in PWL measured after injection of pH 7.4 PBS was plotted at each time point. Mean ± SEM determined on the bracketed number of animals. (e) Effects of pH 7.4 PBS and Bz‐ATP (50 nM) injected alone or together with A‐438079, A‐317491, EAP, and moxibustion expressed as a percentage of the normal PBS (pH 7.4; 100%) effect at 0 min. (f) Effects Bz‐ATP (100 nM) in P2X7R KO and WT mice paws, respectively, expressed as a percentage of the normal PBS (pH 7.4; 100%) effect at 0 min. Bz‐ATP, dibenzoyl‐ATP; A43, A‐438079. (e) ^* P < .05, significantly different from the mean PWL measured after PBS (pH 7.4) injection at 0 min. ^§ P < .05, significantly different from the mean PWL measured after Bz‐ATP (50 nM) injection at 0 min; Kruskal–Wallis one‐way ANOVA on ranks (H = 60.151) followed by Dunn's test. (f) ^* P < .05, significantly different from the mean PWL measured after Bz‐ATP (100 nM) injection at 0 min in WT mice; Kruskal–Wallis one‐way ANOVA (H = 18.965) followed by Dunn's test. ^§ P < .05, significantly different from the effect of Bz‐ATP (100 nM) in P2X^+/+ mice; two‐way ANOVA (F_treatment = 99.955, F_{genotype × treatment} = 70.190) followed by Tukey's test. ^# P < .05, significantly different from the effect of Bz‐ATP (50 nM) measured in rats; Student's t‐test