[Effect of acupuncture on long-term potentiation of hippocampal CA 1 area in diabetic rats with concurrent cerebral ischemia].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of manual acupuncture on long-term potentiation (LTP) in CA 1 area in hippocampal slices from rats suffered from diabetes mellitus (DM) and cerebral ischemia (CI).


METHODS
A total of 54 female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal control (Con), CI, DM + Sham-CI, DM + CI and DM + CI + acupuncture (Acup). DM model was established by i.p. of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg), and CI model duplicated by bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion and reperfusion. "Baihui" (GV 20), bilateral "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) and "Pishu" (BL 20) or "Baihui" (GV 20), bilateral "Shenshu" (BL 23) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) were punctured alternatively and stimulated manually, once every other day for 15 times. Hippocampal slices were taken 40 days after modeling. LTP in hippocampal CA 1 induced by high frequency stimulation (100 Hz, 100 pulses) of Schaffer collaterals and population spikes (PS) were recorded by using glass micropipettes.


RESULTS
No significant differences were found between DM + CI and normal control groups in the shape and amplitude of PS (P>0.05). After stimulation of Schaffer collaterals, the amplitude and slope rate of PS in hippocampal CA 1 of DM + CI rats were decreased significantly in comparison with normal control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). While compared with DM + CI group, both the amplitude and slope rate of PS in DM + CI + Acup group increased significantly (P<0.05, P<0.01), suggesting basic restoration of LTP after acupuncture.


CONCLUSIONS
Acupuncture can promote the recovery of DM+CI induced decline of the amplitude and slope rate of PS, which may contribute to its effect in improving memory ability in DM + CI rats through regulating hippocampal neuronal synaptic plasticity.
Jing
Xiang-hong
XH
Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
Shi
Hong
H
Cai
Hong
H
Chen
Shu-li
SL
Jin
Zhi-gao
ZG
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008568:Memory; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar