title: [Effects of electroacupuncture on microvascular ultrastructure and VEGF expression of the right cerebral cortex in focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the protective effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on the cortical microvasculature in rats with focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CI/RI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty SD rats were randomly divided into: normal group (n = 8), sham-operation (sham) group (n = 8), model group (n = 32) and EA group (n = 32). The II/II model was established by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery for 30 min and reperfusion for 1 day (d), 2 d, 4 d and 8 d respectively. EA was applied to "Baihui" (GV20), "Shuigou" (GV 26) and bilateral "Zusanli" (ST 36) areas for 30 min, once daily for 1 d, 2 d, 4 d and 8 d. The right cortical microvascular ultrastructure was examined with transmission electron microscopy and cerebral vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA expression was detected by quantitative real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The microvascular ultrastructure of the right cerebral cortex was severely injured in rats of the model group whereas greatly improved in rats of EA group. VEGF mRNA expression of the right cerebral cortex was increased significantly in the model group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) and further upregulated in the EA group (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EA intervention can alleviate the injury of microvascular ultrastructure of focal ischemic cerebral tissue and upregulate cerebral VEGF mRNA expression, suggesting a role of EA in protecting the ischemic brain tissues by facilitating the angiogenesis of capillary vessels and the function reconstruction of the damaged microvasculature.
authors: Department of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Tianyou Hospital of Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430064, China.
authors: Qing-Ju
authors: QJ
authors: Mao
authors: Bang-Guo
authors: BG
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A