[Effects of electroacupuncture on the expression of nestin in endogenous neural stem cell in hippocampus in rats with focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture for treating focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.


METHODS
Seventy-five Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group, a model group and an electroacupuncture group, 25 cases in each group. The model of focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion was established by inserting nylon thread into the internal carotid artery except the control group which was only separated of the carotid artery without occlusion. Electroacupuncture group was treated with electroacupuncture at "Baihui (GV 20)" and "Dazhui (GV 14)" and the other groups without electroacupuncture treatment. The number of nestin positive cells expression at 1st, 3rd, 7th, 14th and 21st days after focal cerebral ischemia reperfusion was observed by use of immunohistochemistry method.


RESULTS
The number of nestin positive cells in electroacupuncture group at ischemia side was significantly more than that in the model group at 3rd, 7th, 14th and 21st days (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and at contralateral ischemia side, the number of nestin positive cells in the electroacupuncture group was significantly more than that in the model group only at 7th day (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Electroacupuncture at "Baihui (GV 20)" and "Dazhui (GV 14)" in rats can increase the number of nestin positive cells in hippocampus after focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, which may be one of the important mechanisms of electroacupuncture in treating acute cerebral ischemic diseases.
Department of Emergency Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China.
Don-Qiang
DQ
Yu
Hai-Tao
HT
Pei
Pei-Hai
PH
Zhang
Jin-Ping
JP
Sun
Yan-Hong
YH
Song
Yun-Xia
YX
Shi
D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D015870:Gene Expression; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D064231:Nestin; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015424:Reperfusion
D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; C577484:NES protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577486:Nes protein, rat; D064231:Nestin