Antibody response can be conditioned using electroacupuncture as conditioned stimulus

To establish a new model of conditioned enhancement of antibody production, electroacupuncture was served as the conditioned stimulus (CS) and an injection of a protein antigen ovalbumin as the unconditioned stimulus (UCS). After a CS/UCS pairing was made, re-exposure of animals to the CS alone resulted in significant conditioned enhancement of anti-ovalbumin antibody production. Even in deep sleep induced by anesthesia, the animals can associate a single CS with UCS and an antibody response can be elicited upon subsequent re-exposure to CS in the absence of exogenous antigen. No effect of electroacupuncture on anti-ovalbumin antibody production was found.