title: Specific neuroprotective effects of manual stimulation of real acupoints versus non-acupoints in rats after middle cerebral artery occlusion.
abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and specific effects of acupuncture on ischemic-induced damage in rats after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion. Cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion in male Wistar rats. The rats were divided into the following 4 groups: normal controls, ischemic, real acupuncture-treated (Shuigou, DU26), and non-acupoint-treated groups. On the third postoperative day, neurological deficit scores, cerebral blood flow, infarction volume, and neuronal cell death counts were measured. In the real acupuncture-treated group, the neurological deficit scores and cerebral blood flow were improved (p < 0.05) and the infarction volume and neuronal cell death counts were reduced (p < 0.01) compared to the ischemic and non-acupoint-treated groups. The present study demonstrated that real acupuncture was effective against focal ischemia-induced damage in rats after middle cerebral artery occlusion, and the effects were specifically related to the right needling location.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Department of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193, China ; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Medical School, West China Hospital Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Xiang, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Xin Ling
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Nong Xiao
authors.initials: NX
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Hong Zhi
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Min Xue
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Ding
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Nan Ya
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000628:therapy*; D016923:Cell Death; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012039:Regional Blood Flow
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents
keywords: animal experimentation; middle cerebral artery occlusion; non-acupoint; real acupoint; specificity