Acupuncture attenuates neuronal cell death in middle cerebral artery occlusion model of focal ischemia.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of acupuncture in the middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced ischemia model.


METHODS
Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two experimental groups: middle cerebral artery occlusion group (MCAO, n=8), and middle cerebral artery occlusion plus acupuncture group (MCAO + Acu, n=8). Acupuncture stimulation was given immediately after reperfusion. The effect of its stimulation to both GB34 and GB39 on the size of the brain infarct and the functional status of the brain cells after middle cerebral artery occlusion was examined by nissl staining and neuron-specific nuclear protein immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
The infarction volume was significantly decreased in the MCAO + Acu group (16.4 +/- 4.8%), compared with the MCAO group (39.9 +/- 10.2%). The number of neuron-specific nuclear protein-positive cells in the MCAO group was significantly decreased by 42.3 +/- 12.6% in the striatum and by 45.8 +/- 5.8% in the motor cortex, but the neuron-specific nuclear protein-positive cells in the MCAO + Acu group were rescued by 67.0 +/- 3.8% in the striatum and by 68.1 +/- 4.5% in the motor cortex, compared with the contralateral side (100%).


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that acupuncture had neuroprotective effects against focal ischemia in the middle cerebral artery occlusion model.
Kang
Kyoung Ah
KA
College of Nursing Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
Shin
Eun Sim
ES
Hur
Jinyoung
J
Hasan
Mohmmad Rakibul
MR
Lee
Hyejung
H
Park
Hi-Joon
HJ
Park
Hun-Kuk
HK
Kim
Youn Jung
YJ
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D016923:Cell Death; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C546339:Rbfox3 protein, rat