Effects of acupuncture on the expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2/bFGF) in the left sixth lumbar dorsal root ganglion following removal of adjacent dorsal root ganglia.
This investigation studied the temporal changes in the expression of GDNF and FGF-2 in the left sixth lumbar (L6) dorsal root ganglion (DRG) after acupuncture in adult cats subjected to unilateral removal of adjacent DRG. The cats were divided into three groups. Group I were normal control animals. Group II cats were subjected to removal of DRG associated with the left L1-L5 and L7-S2 spinal nerves, sparing the L6 DRG. Group III cats received similar treatment as Group II ones, but in addition were subjected to acupuncture on the left side at acupuncture points (xuewei) the day after the operation. Both Groups II and III animals were perfused under anesthesia at 7 and 14 days post-operation (dpo) and their left DRG were processed for the immunohistochemical demonstration of GDNF and FGF-2. Following removal of adjacent DRG, the average number of all GDNF stained neurons in L6 DRG was decreased at 7 dpo and more so at 14 dpo. Acupuncture reversed this trend, as demonstrated in the increased average number of immunopositive small-to-medium sized neurons. FGF-2 expression was also less marked at 7 dpo but returned to normal at 14 dpo. Acupuncture significantly increased the average number of FGF-2 positive neurons compared with that in operated animals. This increase was observed in both large and small-to-medium sized neurons. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that the average number of GDNF and FGF-2 neurons in L6 DRG was decreased after unilateral removal of adjacent DRG but acupuncture could reverse some of the changes.
Wang
Tim Ting-Hua
TT
Institute for Research on Neuroscience, Kunming Medical College, 650031 Kunming, China. tinghua_neuron@263.net
Yuan
Yuan
Y
Kang
Yan
Y
Yuan
Wen-Li
WL
Zhang
Hong-Tian
HT
Wu
Lin-Yan
LY
Feng
Zhong-Tang
ZT
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002415:Cats; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D015171:Ganglionectomy; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008297:Male; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*
D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2