[Study on effect of electrical stimulus on repairing of astrocytes and neurons in rehabilitation after middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the mechanism of rehabilitation after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).


METHODS
MCAO model was reproduced with two-kidney, two clip renovascular hypertensive rats stroke-prone (RHRSP), which were divided into two groups, the treated group (treated with electric stimulus) and the control group (untreated model) randomly. The rehabilitation of rats was evaluated by balance beam walking test. The ultrastructural changes of neurons and astrocytes, expressions of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells, neurofilament (NF) protein, and cerebral capillary dilatation M-associated protein-2 (MAP2), as well as the neurons apoptosis and the number of dilatation of cerebral capillary in the margin of infarcted area were observed by the end of 1st, 3rd, 6th and 9th week after modeling.


RESULTS
The motor function of paralysed limbs recovered better in the treated group than that in the control group by the end of 3-9th week after MCAO, the expression of GFAP-positive cells in astrocytes and NF, MAP2 in neurons as well as the number of cerebral capillary dilatation at the margin of infarcted area were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Electric stimulation treatment could improve the recovery of motor function of paralyzed limbs. It might be due to the effect of electric stimulus in increasing astrocytes proliferation, reinforcing activity of neurons and evoking the dilatation of cerebral capillary.
Fang
Yan-nan
YN
First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080.
Huang
Hai-wei
HW
Tao
Yu-qian
YQ
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein