[Protecting action of acupuncture serum on calcium over-loaded neurons of the hippocampus in rats of ischemia-reperfusion].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of acupuncture serum on Ca2+ content in the cultured nervous cells of hippocampus after ischemia-reperfusion, so as to probe into humoral factors in acupuncture treatment.


METHODS
The neurons of the hippocampus from the new born rats were cultured for 9-11 days. Fluorescein-molecular probe Fluo-3 AM was used for staining of intracellular Ca2+. Fluorescent levels in the nervous cells cultured with the serum of the normal rats or the rats given electroacupuncture at "Baihui" (GV 20), "Zusanli" (ST 36), "Quchi" (LI 11) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) for 2 weeks were determined by using a laser confocal microscope.


RESULTS
After the normal serum was added, the intracellular Ca2+ fluorescent levels increased to 697 +/- 113 from 461 +/- 96, while after acupuncture serum was added, the Ca2+ fluorescent levels decreased to 584 +/- 103 from 673 +/- 108, indicating that after addition of acupuncture serum, the increased intracellular Ca2+ content could be decreased.


CONCLUSIONS
There are some active substances in acupuncture serum which can obviously decrease intracellular Ca2+ content after ischemia-reperfusion, so as to provide a direct evidence for role of humoral factor in acupuncture treatment.
Zhang
Jin-Ling
JL
Department of Morphology, Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
Guo
Ying
Y
Li
Rui-Wu
RW
Li
Cui-Hong
CH
Luo
Ming-Fu
MF
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D044967:Serum / Q000737:chemistry
D001798:Blood Proteins; D002118:Calcium