Medical Research

Acupuncture and Stress: The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal System in Baby Rats

Kristen Sparrow • May 20, 2012

The significance of this study for clinical acupuncture is dubious, but I like to catalog research done on the HPA system, as it is key in the stress response.  Heart 7 seems to be the “go to” point for any sort of addiction, or anxiety treatments in the animal lab, for what it’s worth. Click through to read the whole abstract, I left only the conclusion.

Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2011 Nov;31(8):1123-7. Epub 2011 Jun 5.
Effect of acupuncture on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system in maternal separation rats.
Abstract
… In conclusion, acupuncture reduced anxiety-related behaviors and modulated the HPA system. These findings suggest that acupuncture at HT7 may be useful as a therapeutic treatment in MS-induced early life stress.