[Electroacupuncture promotes the regeneration of different fibers in rat's tibial nerve].
METHODS
45 rats (150-200g) were divided into 9 groups. The experimental steps as follows: (1) injured left tibial nerve (group 1-8) and sham operation (group 9); (2) three days after operation, group 1, 3, 5 and 7 were stimulated with electro-acupuncture (EA) in Huantiao (+) and Sanyinjiao (-); (3) according to different survival time (group 1, 2/10 days, group 3, 4/15 days, group 5, 6/20 days, group 7, 8, 9/25 days), 48h before sacrifice, the left femoral nerve was cut, HRP was injected into the hypodermis of paw pad and gastrocnemius; (4) observe HRP labelled cells in the lumber sympathetic ganglia, ganglion spinale (L4-6) and cornu ventrale of spinal cord (L3-S3).


RESULTS
EA 7 days, 2-5 labeled cells were only found in ganglion spinales of group 1; EA for 12 days, the more HRP labeled cells were observed in the lumber sympathetic ganglions (mean = 2.6), ganglion spinales (mean = 4.8) and cornu ventrale (mean = 6) of group 3 as compared with group 4 (P < 0.05); 25 days after operation, the quantity of labeled cells in group 8 was close to group 9.


CONCLUSIONS
(1) EA promote the regeneration of three or more kinds of fibers in tibial nerve; (2) The regeneration velocity of sensory fibers was faster than sympathetic and somatic efferent fibers.
Kong
T
T
Dept. of Anatomy, Henan Medical University, Zhengzhou, China.
Fan
T
T
Han
X
X
Guo
Z
Z
Lei
L
L
Zang
J
J
D000818:Animals; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology*
D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase