title: Acupuncture suppresses kainic acid-induced neuronal death and  inflammatory events in mouse hippocampus.
abstract: The administration of kainic acid (KA) causes seizures and produces neurodegeneration in hippocampal CA3 pyramidal cells. The present study investigated a possible role of acupuncture in reducing hippocampal cell death and inflammatory events, using a mouse model of kainic acid-induced epilepsy. Male C57BL/6 mice received acupuncture treatments at acupoint HT8 or in the tail area bilaterally once a day for 2 days and again immediately after an intraperitoneal injection of KA (30 mg/kg). HT8 is located on the palmar surface of the forelimbs, between the fourth and fifth metacarpal bones. Twenty-four hours after the KA injection, neuronal cell survival, the activations of microglia and astrocytes, and mRNA expression of two proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), were measured in the hippocampus. Acupuncture stimulation at HT8, but not in the tail area, significantly reduced the KA-induced seizure, neuron death, microglial and astrocyte activations, and IL-1β mRNA expression in the hippocampus. The acupuncture stimulation also decreased the mRNA expression of TNF-α, but it was not significant. These results indicate that acupuncture at HT8 can inhibit hippocampal cell death and suppress KA-induced inflammatory events, suggesting a possible role for acupuncture in the treatment of epilepsy.
authors: Division of Meridian and Structural Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Beomeo-ri, Mulgeum-eup, Gyeongsangnam-do, Yangsan-si, 626-870, Republic of Korea.
authors: Seung-Tae
authors: ST
authors: Kim
authors: Ah-Reum
authors: AR
authors: Doo
authors: Seung-Nam
authors: SN
authors: Kim
authors: Song-Yi
authors: SY
authors: Kim
authors: Yoon Young
authors: YY
authors: Kim
authors: Jang-Hyun
authors: JH
authors: Kim
authors: Hyejung
authors: H
authors: Lee
authors: Chang Shik
authors: CS
authors: Yin
authors: Hi-Joon
authors: HJ
authors: Park
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D007608:Kainic Acid