title: [Effects of electroacupuncture at "Jiaji" (EX-B 2) on myocardial apoptosis and the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in rats with ischemia-reperfusion injury].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the protective mechanism of acupuncture on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty Wistar rats were randomly divided into a sham-operation group, a model group, a Jiaji group , a Neiguan group and a Yanglingquan group, 10 rats in each group. The model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury was duplicated by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery (LADCA) in the later four groups, and the LADCA was not ligated in the sham-operation group. The rats in the treatment groups were treated with electroacupuncture at "Jiaji" (EX-B 2), "Neiguan" (PC 6) and "Yanglingquan" (GB 34) on both sides, respectively, once a day for 7 days. No interventions were produced in the sham-operation group and model group. Myocardial apoptosis were examined by the TUNEL method. The expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins were measured by immunohistochemical method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Apoptosis index(AI) was significantly lower in the Jiaji group, Neiguan group and sham-operation group compared with model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the sham-operation group, AI were significantly increased in other groups (all P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in AI between Jiaji and Neiguan group (P > 0.05). Compared with the model group, the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly increased and Bax protein was significantly decreased in Jiaji group and Neiguan group (both P < 0.01). The expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins were significantly increased in other groups compared with the sham-operation group (all P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins between Jiaji and Neiguan group (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electroacupuncture at both Jiaji (EX-B 2) and Neiguan (PC 6) has protective effects on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, and the mechanism is closely related to inhibiting myocardial apoptosis by adjusting the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax.
authors: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of TCM, Jinan 250011, China.
authors: Su-Ping
authors: SP
authors: Kong
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Qi-Wen
authors: QW
authors: Tan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein