title: [The impact of different duration of EA-pretreatment on expression of MMP-9 and VEGF in blood-brain barrier in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the impact of preconditioning of EA stimulation of "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Shuigou" (GV 26) in different duration on expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in blood-brain barrier (BBB) tissues in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CI/RI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four male SD rats were randomly allocated to sham-operation (sham), model, EA-pretreatment 7 days (pre-t-7 d) and EA-pre-t-15 d groups (16 rats/group, 8 rats for immunohistochemistry and 8 for RT-PCR). The CI/RI model was established by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery for 90 min and reperfusion. EA (2 Hz/15 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to GV 20 and GV 26 for 30 min, once daily for 7 days and 15 days respectively before modeling. Immunohistochemical staining and fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR were employed to detect the expression of MMP-9 protein, MMP-9 mRNA and VEGF mRNA in the BBB tissues (choroid plexus).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the sham group, the number of MMP-9 immuno-reaction positive cells, and the expression of MMP-9 mRNA and VEGF mRNA in the model group were significantly increased (P<0.001), while compared with the model group, the number of MMP-9 positive cells, and expression levels of MMP-9 mRNA and VEGF mRNA in the EA-pre-t-7 d and EA-pre-t-15 d groups were significantly reduced (P<0.01), and the effects of EA-pre-t-15 d were markedly superior to those of EA-pre-t-7 d (P<0.01, P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EA-pretreatment of GV 20 and GV 26 can effectively restrain CI/RI-induced increase of expression of MMP-9 protein, MMP-9 mRNA and VEGF mRNA in blood-brain barrier in CI/RI rats, which may contribute to its protective effect of ischemic cerebral tissue. Longer EA-pretreatment is relatively better.
authors.forename: Xian-ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Li-ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9