title: Electroacupuncture promotes the recovery of motor neuron function in the anterior horn of the injured spinal cord.
abstract: Acupuncture has been shown to lessen the inflammatory reaction after acute spinal cord injury and reduce secondary injury. However, the mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, a rat model of spinal cord injury was established by compressing the T8-9 segments using a modified Nystrom method. Twenty-four hours after injury, Zusanli (ST36), Xuanzhong (GB39), Futu (ST32) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) were stimulated with electroacupuncture. Rats with spinal cord injury alone were used as controls. At 2, 4 and 6 weeks after injury, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity at the site of injury, the number of medium and large neurons in the spinal cord anterior horn, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) mRNA expression, and Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale scores were greater in the electroacupuncture group compared with the control group. These results demonstrate that electroacupuncture increases AChE activity, up-regulates GDNF mRNA expression, and promotes the recovery of motor neuron function in the anterior horn after spinal cord injury.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Hui
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5470-890X
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Yong
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Nie
keywords: Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale; acetylcholinesterase; acupoint; electroacupuncture; functional recovery; glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor; inclined board test; motor neurons; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; secondary injury; spinal cord injury; spine injury