title: Protective effect of electroacupuncture at the Neiguan point in a rabbit model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate possible cardioprotective mechanisms of electroacupuncture (EA) at the Neiguan point and at the Lieque point in the presence of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  The changes in ventricular tissue Bax and Bcl-2 protein expression, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activity were examined, as well as beta-endorphin (beta-EP) con-tent in a rabbit model of MIRI. Four randomized groups were studied: sham, untreated MIRI, MIRI followed by EA at the Neiguan point, and MIRI followed by EA at the Lieque point. The MIRI model involved ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min followed by a 60 min postischemia reperfusion period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EA at the Neiguan point dramatically decreased the number of apoptotic cells and the content of beta-EP and MDA, and inhibited Bax protein expression while enhancing Bcl-2 expression and GSH-PX activity. Furthermore, EA enhanced Bcl-2 expression and GSH-PX activity. Lesser effects were elicited by EA at the Lieque point.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cardioprotective effects of applying EA at the Neiguan point on MIRI include reducing apoptosis, regulating apoptosis- controlling genes, and decreasing myocardial MDA and beta-EP while enhancing GSH-PX activity.
authors.affiliation: Wuhan Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Hongxing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lingguang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Guofu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Wenli
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Tangfa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000032:analysis; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000032:analysis; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase