title: Electroacupuncture alleviates cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury via modulation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
abstract: Electroacupuncture (EA) has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory actions, but whether the neuroprotective effect of EA against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury involves modulation of the extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling pathway is unclear. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was performed in Sprague-Dawley rats for 2 hours followed by reperfusion for 24 hours. A 30-minute period of EA stimulation was applied to both Baihui (DU20) and Dazhui (DU14) acupoints in each rat (10 mm EA penetration depth, continuous wave with a frequency of 3 Hz, and a current intensity of 1-3 mA) when reperfusion was initiated. EA significantly reduced infarct volume, alleviated neuronal injury, and improved neurological function in rats with MCAO. Furthermore, high mRNA expression of Bax and low mRNA expression of Bcl-2 induced by MCAO was prevented by EA. EA substantially restored total glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels. Additionally, Nrf2 and glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS) expression levels were markedly increased by EA. Interestingly, the neuroprotective effects of EA were attenuated when ERK1/2 activity was blocked by PD98059 (a specific MEK inhibitor). Collectively, our findings indicate that activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway contributes to the neuroprotective effects of EA. Our study provides a better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effectiveness of EA.
authors.affiliation: Second Clinical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Lu
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Peng-Fei
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China; College of Basic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Bing
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Basic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Second Clinical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Xi-Lian
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Second Clinical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Second Clinical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Mei-Hong
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8650-2778
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Shen
keywords: B cell lymphoma 2; electroacupuncture; glutamylcysteine synthetase; glutathione peroxidase; glutathione reductase; ischemia and reperfusion injury; middle cerebral artery occlusion; mitogen-activated protein kinase; nerve regeneration; nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; oxidative stress