2022, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (35): 5620-5625

Effect of electroacupuncture at Shuigou and Baihui acupoints on neuronal apoptosis in cerebral cortex of rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury

Liu Danni1, 2, 3, Sun Guanghua1, 2, 3, Zhou Guijuan1, 2, 3, Liu Hongya1, 2, 3, Zhou Jun1, 2, 3, 4, Tan Jinqu1, 2, 3, Huang Xiarong1, 2, 3, Peng Ting1, 2, 3, Feng Weibin1,2,3, Luo Fu1, 2, 3   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury is commonly seen in patients with ischemic stroke and seriously affects their prognosis, so it is important to explore effective treatments to alleviate ischemia-reperfusion injury. Electroacupuncture can effectively improve the symptoms of neurological deficits in ischemic stroke.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the neuroprotective effect of electroacupuncture treatment on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury rats and its effect on neuronal apoptosis in the cerebral cortex.
METHODS: A total of 48 male 3-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group, model group, and electroacupuncture group, with 16 rats in each group. Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion models were established on the left middle cerebral artery of the rats from the model and electroacupuncture groups: ischemia for 2 hours and reperfusion for 6 hours. In the sham-operated group, only the carotid artery was exposed and dissociated. Then, rats in the electroacupuncture group were subjected to electroacupuncture at Baihui and Shuigou acupoints with sparse and dense waves at 3 Hz/15 Hz,
1 mA, for 20 minutes, once a day for 5 continuous days. On the 5th day after modeling, all rats were assessed for neurological impairment using the Longa neurological severity score. triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining was used to determine the infarct volume. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the level of inflammatory factors. TUNEL was used to detect apoptosis. RT-PCR and western blot were used to detect the expression of Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 at mRNA and protein levels, respectively.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the sham-operated group, in the model group, the neurological severity scores of rats were significantly higher (P < 0.01); the brain infarct volume of rats was significantly higher (P < 0.01); the number of TUNEL-positive cells in the left cerebral cortex of rats was significantly increased (P < 0.01); the levels of serum inflammatory factors interleukin-1β, interleukin-18 and tumor necrosis factor-α were increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.01); mRNA and protein expressions of Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 in the cerebral cortex of rats were significantly higher (P < 0.01, P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, in the electroacupuncture group, the neurological severity scores of rats were reduced (P < 0.05); the volume of cerebral infarction in rats was reduced (P < 0.05); the number of TUNEL-positive cells in the left cerebral cortex area of rats was significantly reduced (P < 0.01); the levels of serum interleukin-1β, interleukin-18 and tumor necrosis factor-α were reduced (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, P < 0.05); mRNA and protein expressions of Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 in the cerebral cortex area of rats were significantly reduced (P < 0.01, P < 0.01). To conclude, electroacupuncture treatment may exert neuroprotective effects by inhibiting neuronal apoptosis in the rat cerebral cortex and alleviating cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Key words: electroacupuncture, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, cerebral cortex, apoptosis, inflammation, neurological function, rat