Acupuncture decreases ischemia-induced apoptosis and cell proliferation in dentate gyrus of gerbils.
BACKGROUND
Acupuncture has been used for the enhancement of functional recovery from various disorders. In the present study, the effect of acupuncture on the apoptosis and new cell proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of gerbils (n = 25) following transient global ischemia was investigated.


METHODS
To determine the level of apoptosis and cell proliferation, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay and immunohistochemistry for 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) were employed respectively.


RESULTS
In the dentate gyrus of ischemic gerbils, the number of both TUNEL- and BrdU-positive cells (66.01 +/- 2.45/mm(2) and 514.38 +/- 44.90/mm(2)) was significantly increased compared to that of the sham-operated gerbils (11.25 +/- 1.85/mm(2) and 111.47 +/- 10.95/mm(2)). Among the acupuncture (ST36, LI4 or non-acupoint) treated groups, ST36 acupoint treated group showed the most potent apoptosis (20.52 +/- 2.40/mm(2)) and proliferation (159.38 +/- 24.05/mm(2)) suppressive effects ( approximately 70% decreases in both apoptosis and cell proliferation).


CONCLUSIONS
These results may suggest that acupuncture treatment alleviates ischemia-induced apoptosis and presents possible therapeutic potentials in the recovery from ischemic cerebral injury.
Chung
Jae-Hoon
JH
College of Korean Medicine, Semyung University, Jechon 390-711, Korea.
Lee
Eun-Yong
EY
Jang
Mi-Hyeon
MH
Kim
Chang-Ju
CJ
Kim
Jeongseon
J
Ha
Eunyoung
E
Park
Hun-Kuk
HK
Choi
Sunmi
S
Lee
Hyejung
H
Park
Sung-Ho
SH
Leem
Kang-Hyun
KH
Kim
Ee-Hwa
EH
D026881:Acupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000473:pathology*; D005849:Gerbillinae; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007511:Ischemia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male
D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine