Objective To investigate the effect of acupuncture on the addiction memory of rats. Methods A model for heroin re-addicted rats was made by coupling heroin injection in increasing doses on the platform of a Morris water maze with high-frequency sounds cues. The animals were randomly divided into control group, relapse group, acupuncture group, and drug group, with 10 individuals in each group. For the acupuncture group, Baihui （百会 GV 20） and ＂Dazhui＂ （大椎 GV 24） were selected. Morris water maze was used to assess the time elapsed and the distance traveled before a rat reached the platform. The expression levels of A FosB and cAMP response element binding protein （CREB） in hippocampal CA 1 area were assessed with immunohistochemical staining. Results Upon completion of three treatments, the acupuncture group had significantly longer lengths of latency and swimming distance compared to the relapse group （P〈0.05）. Furthermore, the acupuncture group had significantly lowered expression levels of A FosB and CREB compared to the relapse group （P〈0.05）. Conclusion Acupuncture can downregulate A FosB and CREB expression in rats＇ hippocampal area and inhibit the addiction memory.
