title: [Effects of electroacupuncture combined with polysaccharide of gastrodia elate blume on expression of nestin and stem cell factor in thalamic ventroposterolateral nucleus in rats with focal cerebral ischemia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the nerve regeneration mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) combined with polysaccharide of gastrodia elate blume (PGB) for secondary thalamic damage of focal cerebral ischemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty Sprague-Dawley adult rats were randomly divided into a normal control group, a model group, an EA group, a PGB group and an EA + PGB group, 8 rats in each group. The rat model of right middle cerebral artery occlusion was prepared by suture-occluded method. Two weeks after model establishment, rats in the normal control group and model group received no treatment; rats in the EA group were treated with EA at "Baihui" (GV 20) and left "Zusanli" (ST 36), 30 min per treatment, once a day for 14 successive days; rats in the PGB group were treated with intragastric administration of PGB (100 mg/kg) , once a day for 14 days; rats in the EA + PGB group were treated with EA and PGB treatment, once a day for totally 14 days. The expressions of nestin and stem cell factor (SCF) in thalamic ventroposterolateral nucleus (VPL) were detected by immunohistochemical method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were positive cells of nestin in ischemia VPL in the model group, and the number of SCF positive cells was increased compared with that in the normal control group (P<0.05). The number of positive cells of nestin and SCF in ischemia VPL in the EA group, PGB group and the EA + PGB group was increased compared with that in the model group (all P<0.05), and the average gray value of immune positive product was all reduced (all P<0.05). The number of positive cells of nestin and SCF in the EA + PGB group was higher than that in the EA group or the PGB group (all P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EA combined with PGB can significantly increase the SCF expression in ischemia VPL and promote the proliferation of neural stem cells, which is likely to be one of the nerve regeneration mechanism of acupuncture and medication tor secondary thalamic damage of local cerebral isctemia.
authors.forename: Huaibin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Huachun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Keren
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D031668:Gastrodia / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D064231:Nestin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D064231:Nestin; D011134:Polysaccharides; D019089:Stem Cell Factor