[Effect of electroacupuncture on cerebral cortex ultrastructure in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Dazhui" (GV 14) on the ultrastructure of cerebral cortex in rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion (CI/R) injury.


METHODS
Fifteen SD rats were equally randomized into sham-operation (sham), model and EA groups. CI/R model was established by right middle cerebral artery occlusion for 1 h and reperfusion for 24 h. EA (20 Hz/80 Hz, 1-3 mA) was applied to "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Dazhui" (GV 14) for 30 min. The ischemic cerebral cortex tissue was taken, fixed in 2.5% glutaral solution, embedded in araldite, cut into sections and stained for observing the ultrastructure changes of cortical pyramidal cells, astrocyte and blood brain barrier (BBB) under transmission electronic microscope.


RESULTS
In sham group, the anatomical structure of the cerebral pyramidal cells was normal basically. In model group, the neuronal mitochondria and the capillary endothelium and the processes of the astrocyte got swelling, the mitochondrial cristae were broken, the capillary lumens became narrow or were blocked up. In EA group, the injury degree of the pyramidal cells, glial cells and BBB were lighter.


CONCLUSIONS
EA can reduce ischemic injury of the cerebral cortical neurons and blood brain barrier in rats with CI/R injury.
Shen
Mei-hong
MH
Second Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China.
Li
Zhong-ren
ZR
Xiang
Xiao-ren
XR
Niu
Wen-min
WM
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000628:therapy*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*