title: Acupuncture suppresses ischemia-induced increase in c-Fos expression and apoptosis in the hippocampal CA1 region in gerbils.
abstract: Acupuncture has been used for the enhancement of functional recovery from various disorders including stroke. In the present study, the effects of acupuncture on the c-Fos expression and apoptosis in the hippocampal CA1 region of gerbils following transient global ischemia were investigated via immunohistochemistry for c-Fos and caspase-3 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Enhanced Fos, TUNEL, and caspase-3 positivities were detected in the hippocampal CA1 region in the ischemic gerbils. Acupunctural treatment suppressed the ischemia-induced increment in the number of Fos-, TUNEL-, and caspase-3-positive cells: the most potent suppressive effect was observed at the Zusanli acupoint. These results suggest that acupunctural treatment alleviates ischemia-induced apoptosis and may aid in the recovery following ischemic cerebral injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, # 1 Hoigi-dong, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 130-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Mi-Hyeon
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Min-Chul
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Taeck-Hyun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Baek-Vin
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Mal-Soon
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Byung-Il
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sonhae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Ee-Hwa
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chang-Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases