title: Acupuncture improves locomotor function by enhancing GABA receptor expression in transient focal cerebral ischemia rats.
abstract: Stroke is the major cause of long-term disability among adults. Recent studies have found that GABAergic inhibitory neurotransmission plays a vital role in ameliorate locomotor damage after ischemic injury. Acupuncture has been widely used to improve locomotor function. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The present study is designed to investigate whether GABA and GABA receptors are involved in the mechanism underlying acupuncture treatment in rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). One week after acupuncture at JiaJi acupoint, the locomotor function and infarct volumes were tested. Then level of GABA and the expressions of GABAAγ2 and GABABR2 were assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Compared with normal group, GABAAγ2 and GABABR2 expressions were decreased in striatum and spinal cord of the MCAO group. After acupuncture, the expressions of the two receptors were increased, but levels of GABA and trafficking protein, kinesin binding 1 (TRAK1), which plays a role in the intracellular transport of GABA receptors, were unchanged. The present study suggests that acupuncture could reverse locomotor function by modulating the expressions of GABA receptors in MCAO rats.
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated to Capital Medical University, 23 Meishuguanhou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100010, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated to Capital Medical University, 23 Meishuguanhou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100010, China.
authors.forename: Jing-Wen
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated to Capital Medical University, 23 Meishuguanhou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100010, China; Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jingshi Street, Lixia District, Jinan 250014, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated to Capital Medical University, 23 Meishuguanhou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100010, China; Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jingshi Street, Lixia District, Jinan 250014, China.
authors.forename: Li-Wen
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated to Capital Medical University, 23 Meishuguanhou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100010, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated to Capital Medical University, 23 Meishuguanhou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100010, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated to Capital Medical University, 23 Meishuguanhou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100010, China.
authors.forename: Si-Qi
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated to Capital Medical University, 23 Meishuguanhou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100010, China. Electronic address: wlp5558@sina.com.
authors.forename: Lin-Peng
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated to Capital Medical University, 23 Meishuguanhou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100010, China. Electronic address: lcz623780@126.com.
authors.forename: Cun-Zhi
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000378:metabolism; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C546281:Gabrg2 protein, rat; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D001615:beta-Endorphin
keywords: Acupuncture; GABA; GABA receptor; MCAO