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2023, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (20): 3158-3166

Effects of Santong electroacupuncture on the activity of cytoplasmic phospholipase A2 in rats with spinal cord injury via the Rho/Rho kinase and MEK/ERK signaling pathways

Yao Haihua1, Min Youjiang1, 2, Hong Dongying3, Wang Li2, Lu Xiuyun2, Yang Yihua2   

  1. 1Shanghai Eighth People’s Hospital, Shanghai 200235, China; 2School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang 330052, Jiangxi Province, China; 3Shunchang Hospital of Huangpu District, Shanghai 200025, China

  • Received:2022-05-05 Accepted:2022-07-09 Online:2023-07-18 Published:2022-11-19

  • Contact: Min Youjiang, MD, Chief physician, Master’s supervisor, Shanghai Eighth People’s Hospital, Shanghai 200235, China; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang 330052, Jiangxi Province, China

  • About author:Yao Haihua, Master, Attending physician, Shanghai Eighth People’s Hospital, Shanghai 200235, China

  • Supported by:

    the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Youth Program), No. 81904289 (to YHH)


Abstract: BACKGROUND: Cytoplasmic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) is a novel strategy and target for the treatment of spinal cord injury. cPLA2 is regulated by RhoA/Rho kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK)/extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) signaling pathways. Electroacupuncture can treat spinal cord injury by regulating the RhoA/Rho kinase and MEK/ERK signaling pathways.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture on the activity of cPLA2 after spinal cord injury by regulating Rho/ROCK (Rho kinase) and MEK/ERK signaling pathways.
METHODS: After spinal cord injury modeling and Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan scoring, 72 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into model group, electroacupuncture group, U0126 treatment group and Y27632 treatment group, with 18 rats in each group. Another 18 rats were used as sham operation group, in which only laminectomy was performed without spinal cord impingement. In the electroacupuncture group, Dazhui (GV 14), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), bilateral Ciliao (BL 32) and Zusanli (ST 36) were treated with electroacupuncture, once a day, 20 minutes each time, 14 times in total. Rats in the U0126 and Y27632 treatment groups were given U0126 and Y27362 subdural injection every other day, respectively. At the end of treatment, the rats were sacrificed after Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan scoring, and the spinal cord tissue was collected to detect the content of prostaglandin E2 and platelet activating factor by ELISA. TUNEL assay was used to detect the apoptosis rate of spinal cord nerve cells. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of RhoA, ROCK II, MEK, ERK1/2, p-ERK1/2, cPLA2 and p-cPLA2 in the spinal cord. qRT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of RhoA, ROCK II, MEK, ERK1/2 and cPLA2 in the spinal cord.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the sham operation group, Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan score was significantly decreased in the model group (P < 0.01), while the number of apoptotic cells, the levels of prostaglandin E2 and platelet activating factor, and the expression of p-cPLA2 protein and cPLA2 mRNA in spinal cord tissue were significantly increased in the model group (P < 0.01). After treatment, the above indexes were significantly reversed in all the treatment groups except for the mRNA expression of cPLA2 in the electroacupuncture group (P < 0.01). Compared with the sham operation group, the expression of RhoA, ROCK II, and MEK protein and gene, the mRNA expression of ERK1/2, and the protein expression of p-ERK1/2 were significantly increased in the model group (P < 0.01). After treatment, the above indexes were significantly decreased in the three treatment groups (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). To conclude, electroacupuncture can down-regulate the expression of factors related to Rho/ROCK and MEK/ERK signaling pathways, inhibit the activity of cPLA2, reduce the apoptosis of nerve cells, alleviate inflammatory responses, and finally achieve the therapeutic effect on spinal cord injury.

Key words: electroacupuncture, spinal cord injury, Rho/Rho kinase signaling pathway, MEK/ERK signaling pathway, cytoplasmic phospholipase A2


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Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine

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