title: [Effects of acupuncture pre-conditioning on apoptosis in hippocampal neurons following ischemia-reperfusion injury in aged rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of acupuncture pre-conditioning on apoptosis in hippocampal neurons following ischemia-reperfusion injury in aged rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 120 senile male Wistar rats aged 19 - 21 months (corresponding to 60-year-old human being) weighting 550 - 710 g were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 30 each). Cerebral ischemic group: 4-vessel-block was conducted for 4 minutes to establish cerebral ischemic models; Acupuncture pre-conditioning group: electroacupuncture was applied at acupoint Baihui (GV20) with a frequency of 15 Hz and 2 mA for 30 minutes once daily for 5 days. Then the rats received 4-vessel-block for 4 minutes; Sham-operation group: 4 vessels were exposed; Sham-acupuncture group: only electroacupuncture for 5 days without operation. The rats were sacrificed at the end of predetermined duration of reperfusion 12 h, 1, 2, 3 and 7 d respectively. The brains were immediately harvested and hippocampal CA1 region was isolated for (1) light and electron microscopic examinations of hippocampal neurons; (2) detection of apoptotic neurons (TUNEL); (3) determination of caspase-3 protein expression with SABC (streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complex) immuno-histochemical technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were apoptotic neurons in all groups. The numbers of apoptotic neurons and positive neurons of caspase-3 significantly increased in the acupuncture pre-conditioning and cerebral ischemic groups versus the sham-acupuncture and sham-operation groups (P < 0.01). And the numbers of apoptotic neurons and positive neurons of caspase-3 significantly decreased in the acupuncture pre-conditioning group versus the cerebral ischemic group (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture pre-conditioning can decrease the neuronal apoptosis after ischemia-reperfusion injury through a lowered expression of caspase-3 protein in senile rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China.
authors.forename: Hai-peng
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ming-shan
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Shi-long
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Hai-ou
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yan-lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Yu-qiu
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D019194:Ischemic Preconditioning / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3