title: The effects of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicines on apoptosis of brain tissue in a rat intracerebral hemorrhage model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Chinese herbs and acupuncture on the neuronal apoptosis and the expression of apoptosis-related genes in the brain tissue of rats following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Collagenase VII was injected into the caudate nucleus of Sprague-Dawley rats to induce ICH. Chinese herbs (musk, borneol and tetrandrine) were intragastrically administered, and acupuncture was performed using Dazhui, Fengfu and Shuigou acupoints. Each group was further subdivided into 4 subgroups based on treatment duration (6-hour, 24-hour, 72-hour, and 1-week). Neurological impairment score, TUNEL assay and apoptotic markers, BCL-2, BAX, and caspase-3 were used to evaluate the apoptosis status after ICH and subsequent treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chinese herbal therapy and acupuncture improved neurological impairment compared with no therapy and sham-operated animals. Significant differences in TUNEL positive cells were found between treatment groups (p < 0.001) and over time (p < 0.001). Differential expression of BCL-2, BAX, and caspase-3 was observed between treatment groups (p = 0.014 for BAX and < 0.05 for BCL-2 and caspase-3) and treatment duration groups (p = 0.006 for BAX and < 0.05 BCL-2 and caspase-3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results indicate that Chinese herbs and acupuncture may improve neural impairment and reduce apoptosis, although there was no difference between therapies in a rat model of ICH. Additional experiments are needed to further clarify the role of these therapies following ICH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Beverage Management, Jen-Teh College of Medicine, Nursing & Management, Hou-loung Town, Miaoli County, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: un289012@ms41.hinet.net.
authors.forename: Jui-Chu
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D017364:Collagenases / Q000633:toxicity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D053148:Caspase 3; D017364:Collagenases
keywords: Acupuncture; Animal model; Apoptosis; Chinese herbs; Intracerebral hemorrhage