title: Electro-acupuncture at LI11 and ST36 acupoints exerts neuroprotective effects via reactive astrocyte proliferation after ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats.
abstract: Reactive astrogliosis is a common phenomenon in central nervous system (CNS) injuries such as ischemic stroke. The present study aimed to deeply investigate the relationships between the neuroprotective effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) and reactive astrocytes following cerebral ischemia. EA treatment at the Quchi (LI11) and Zusanli (ST36) acupoints at Day 3 attenuated neurological deficits and cerebral infarct volume in ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injured rats. Animal behavior assessments found that the speed of Catwalk gait, equilibrium and coordination of Rotarod test were improved. Furthermore, EA treatment exerted neuroprotective effects via activation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin and nestin positive cells. Simultaneously, an obvious increase in GFAP/vimentin, GFAP/nestin and GFAP/BrdU co-labeling appeared in the peri-infract cortex and striatum, suggesting EA can promote the proliferation of GFAP/vimentin/nestin-positive reactive astrocytes. The expression of cell cycle-associated proteins Cyclin Dl, CDK4 and phospho-Rb were increased in the peri-infract cortex and striatum, indicating proliferated reactive astrocytes-mediated CyclinDl/CDK4 regulation of the transition of the G1-to-S cell cycle phases. In addition, EA enhanced the localized expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the peri-infract cortex and striatum. These results demonstrated that EA treatment at the LI11 and ST36 acupoints on Day 3 exerted neuroprotection via proliferation of GFAP/vimentin/nestin-positive reactive astrocytes and, potentially, secretion of reactive astrocytes-derived BDNF in I/R injured rats.
authors.affiliation: College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: The Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technology, Fuzhou 350001, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China.
authors.forename: Weilin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China.
authors.forename: Shanli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China.
authors.forename: Xiehua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: The Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technology, Fuzhou 350001, China.
authors.forename: Guanhao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.affiliation: The Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technology, Fuzhou 350001, China.
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technology, Fuzhou 350001, China.
authors.forename: Ruhui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China. Electronic address: cld@fjtcm.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Lidian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D011897:Random Allocation; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D045442:Rotarod Performance Test
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
keywords: BDNF; Cell cycle; Electro-acupuncture; Ischemic stroke; Reactive astrocytes