title: Electroacupuncture ameliorates post-stroke learning and memory through minimizing ultrastructural brain damage and inhibiting the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injured rats.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential neuroprotective effects of electroacupuncture (EA) in the treatment of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, and to elucidate the association between this neuroprotective effect and brain ultrastructure and expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‑2 and 9. Rats underwent focal cerebral I/R injury by arterial ligation and received in vivo therapeutic EA at the Baihui (DU20) and Shenting (DU24) acupoints. The therapeutic efficacy was then evaluated following the surgery. The results of the current study demonstrated that EA treatment significantly ameliorated neurological deficits and reduced cerebral infarct volume compared with I/R injured rats. Furthermore, EA improved the learning and memory ability of rats following I/R injury, inhibited blood brain barrier breakdown and reduced neuronal damage in the ischemic penumbra. Furthermore, EA attenuated ultrastructural changes in the brain tissue following ischemia and inhibited MMP‑2/MMP‑9 expression in cerebral I/R injured rats. The results suggest that EA ameliorates anatomical deterioration, and learning and memory deficits in rats with cerebral I/R injury.
authors.affiliation: College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ruhui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: TCM Rehabilitation Research Center of SATCM, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Kunqiang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaojie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yukun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Congkuai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Fujian Key Laboratory of Exercise Rehabilitation, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Dian
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000628:therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods; D015870:Gene Expression; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018782:Maze Learning; D008568:Memory; D051381:Rats; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000235:genetics*; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9