title: [Influence of electroacupuncture intervention on hippocampal IL-1beta content and I kappa B kinase beta expression in focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of "Baihui" (GV 20) and left "Hegu" (LI 4)-"Taichong" (LR 3) on levels of hippocampal IL-1beta content and I kappa B kinase (IKK) beta protein in focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CI/R) injury rats so as to reveal its mechanism underlying improvement of cerebral ischemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and ninety-eight male SD rats were randomly divided into sham group (n = 54), model group (n = 72) and EA group (n = 72) which were further randomized into 12 h, 24 h and 48 h subgroups according to the duration of CI/R. The focal CI/R injury model was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and reperfusion. EA (1 mA, 2 Hz/100 Hz) was applied to "Baihui" (GV 20) and the left "Hegu" (LI 4)-"Taichong" (LR 3) for 20 min, once every 12 h. The level of IL-1beta content in the right hippocampus tissue was detected by ELISA and the expression levels of hippocampal IKKbeta protein were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the 3 subgroups of the sham group, the levels of hippocampal IL-1beta contents at time-points of 12 h, 24 h and 48 h after MCAO were significantly increased in the model group (P < 0.01). In comparison with the model group, the contents of hippocampal IL-beta at the 3 corresponding time-points in the EA group were significantly reduced (P < 0.01). The expression levels of hippocampal IKKbeta protein at the 3 time-points after MCAO shown by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis were significantly higher in the model group than in the sham group (P < 0.05), and considerably lower in the EA group than in the model group (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EA of GV 20 and LI 4-LR 3 can obviously reduce CI/R injury induced increase of IL-1beta content and IKKbeta expression level in the hippocampus, which may be responsible for its effect in alleviating cerebral infarction by reducing inflammatory injury in the hippocampus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. apple11wen@126.com
authors.forename: Wen-Yi
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D015870:Gene Expression; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015424:Reperfusion
chemical_list: D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase