title: Proteomic response to acupuncture treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: Previous animal and clinical studies have shown that acupuncture is an effective alternative treatment in the management of hypertension, but the mechanism is unclear. This study investigated the proteomic response in the nervous system to treatment at the Taichong (LR3) acupoint in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Unanesthetized rats were subject to 5-min daily acupuncture treatment for 7 days. Blood pressure was monitored over 7 days. After euthanasia on the 7(th) day, rat medullas were dissected, homogenized, and subject to 2D gel electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF analysis. The results indicate that blood pressure stabilized after the 5th day of acupuncture, and compared with non-acupoint treatment, Taichong-acupunctured rat's systolic pressure was reduced significantly (P<0.01), though not enough to bring blood pressure down to normal levels. The different treatment groups also showed differential protein expression: the 2D images revealed 571 ± 15 proteins in normal SD rats' medulla, 576 ± 31 proteins in SHR's medulla, 597 ± 44 proteins in medulla of SHR after acupuncturing Taichong, and 616 ± 18 proteins in medulla of SHR after acupuncturing non-acupoint. In the medulla of Taichong group, compared with non-acupoint group, seven proteins were down-regulated: heat shock protein-90, synapsin-1, pyruvate kinase isozyme, NAD-dependent deacetylase sirtuin-2, protein kinase C inhibitor protein 1, ubiquitin hydrolase isozyme L1, and myelin basic protein. Six proteins were up-regulated: glutamate dehydrogenase 1, aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, glutathione S-transferase M5, Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor 1, DJ-1 protein and superoxide dismutase. The altered expression of several proteins by acupuncture has been confirmed by ELISA, Western blot and qRT-PCR assays. The results indicate an increase in antioxidant enzymes in the medulla of the SHRs subject to acupuncture, which may provide partial explanation for the antihypertensive effect of acupuncture. Further studies are warranted to investigate the role of oxidative stress modulation by acupuncture in the treatment of hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, School of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xinsheng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Jiayou
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Neel R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Nabar
authors.forename: Sanqiang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Chunzhi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Mufeng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Zhonghua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chunmei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chew
authors.forename: Zhenquan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Junjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Baogui
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Kevin B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Sneed
authors.forename: Shu-Feng
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D007526:Isoelectric Point; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008954:Models, Biological; D020543:Proteome / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013599:Systole
chemical_list: D020543:Proteome; D012333:RNA, Messenger