Effect And Stress Modulating Mechanism Of Electro-acupuncture In Different Stimulating Intensity On Neuron Injury After Focal Cerebral Ischemia In Rats

Object: To investigate the relationship between the neuron protective effects and electro-acupuncture stimulating intensity and the stress modulating mechanism of electro-acupuncture, we studied the effects of electro-acupuncture in different stimulating intensity on neuron injury and the expression of some stress-related protein after focal cerebral ischemia in rats. Method: Focal cerebral ischemia in rats was produced with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) using nylon thread embolus. To apply acupuncture on Quchi (LI11) and Zusanli (ST36), we used an electronic stimulator, with different stimulating intensity as 1V, 3V and 6V. The morphological change of neuron in ischemic penumbra, MDA and NO of blood serum and the expression of Bcl-2 & Bax, c-Fos & c-Jun and HSP70 in neuron were also observed. Results:In acupuncture group MDA and NO in blood serum declined, the survival neuron increased and the expression of Bcl-2 and HSP70 was up-regulated, when the expression of c-Fos was down-regulated. Most of those effects in 6V group were much more obvious than that in 3V group and 1V group. Conclusion:Acupuncture could alleviate neuron injury and promote the recovery of cerebral function after cerebral ischemia. The effects are correlated to the stimulating intensity of electro-acupuncture. The stress modulating mechanism plays an important role in this process.