title: The regulatory effect of electro-acupuncture on the expression of NMDA receptors in a SCI rat model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In early spinal cord injury (SCI), glutamate receptors, including N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDARs), are over-stimulated by excessively released glutamate. The enhanced activity of NMDARs may cause cell death by overloading calcium (Ca2+) into cells based on their high permeability to Ca2+. Studies in SCI animals have shown that treatment with electro-acupuncture (EA) is able to reduce cell death and to improve functional recovery. One possible mechanism of this neuroprotective effect is that EA has regulatory effect on NMDARs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test whether EA could protect the spinal cord after SCI by decreasing the expression levels of NR1 and NR2A.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted EA treatment on a rat SCI model produced with a New York University (NYU) Impactor and measured hindlimb locomotor function by Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan Locomotor Rating Scale (BBB Scale). The expression of NR1 and NR2, the subunits of NMDARs, in the injured spinal cord was measured by Immunofluorescence stainings, western blot and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed that two days after the SCI the expression of NR1 and NR2 were dramatically enhanced at both protein and mNRA levels, which were significantly reduced by EA treatment at two specific acupoints, Dazhui (DU14) and Mingmen (DU4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EA is a potential therapeutic method for treating early SCI in human.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wen-Zhan
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wen-Ci
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Ming-Chen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: songhe.jiang@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Song-He
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D006614:Hindlimb; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: C409466:NR1 NMDA receptor; C120997:NR2A NMDA receptor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Electro-acupuncture; NMDA receptors; SCI; Therapy