title: Effects of acupuncture on cortical expression of Wnt3a, β-catenin and Sox2 in a rat model of traumatic brain injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effects of acupuncture treatment on the expression of Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway-related genes (Wnt3a, β-catenin and Sox2) in the injured cerebral cortex of rats with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  
  
  METHODS
  A controlled impact model of TBI was established using Feeney's free-drop method. Seventy-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following three groups: a normal group (n=18) that was left untreated; a model group (n=30) that received no treatment after TBI; and an acupuncture group (n=30) that received acupuncture (at LI4, GV20, GV26 and GV16) after TBI. Rats in each group were randomly and equally divided into 3-day, 7-day and 14-day subgroups according to the duration of therapy. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to measure mRNA expression of Wnt3a, β-catenin and Sox2. Western blots were performed to determine the expression levels of WNT3a, β-Catenin and SOX2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Wnt3a mRNA was upregulated in the 7-day and 14-day acupuncture subgroups compared with the corresponding model subgroups (p<0.05). β-catenin expression was significantly increased in the 7-day and 14-day acupuncture subgroups compared with the corresponding model subgroups (p<0.01). In the 3-day and 7-day acupuncture subgroups, Sox2 expression was significantly higher than that in the normal and model groups (p<0.01 each). The levels of WNT3a, β-catenin and SOX2 were generally consistent with the corresponding mRNA levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture exerts a regulatory effect on the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway, which may in turn influence the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells.
authors: Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Yi-min
authors: YM
authors: Zhang
authors: Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Qiu-fu
authors: QF
authors: Dai
authors: Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Wei-hao
authors: WH
authors: Chen
authors: Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Shu-ting
authors: ST
authors: Jiang
authors: Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Sheng-xin
authors: SX
authors: Chen
authors: Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Yu-juan
authors: YJ
authors: Zhang
authors: Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Chun-zhi
authors: CZ
authors: Tang
authors: Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Shao-bing
authors: SB
authors: Cheng
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway; D060509:Wnt3A Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors; C527784:Sox2 protein, rat; D060509:Wnt3A Protein; D051176:beta Catenin
keywords: ACUPUNCTURE; BASIC SCIENCES