Acupuncture Intervention On ERK Expression And Apoptosis Of Brain Injury Modeled Rats’ Brain Tissues

Objective:By making traumatic brain injury rat-models to make a comparative study of the effect of acupuncture treatment at different intervention time points. Explore the protective effect of acupuncture on brain cells and the extracellular signal regulated kinase ERK, and discuss the mechanism of acupuncture in treatment of brain injury from the angle of cell apoptosis. In order to provide the theoretical and experimental bases of the optimal intervention time for clinical acupuncture treatment of brain injury. Methods:70 healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: blank group, model group 1, model group 2, acupuncture group 1, acupuncture group 2 and acupuncture group 3. Blank group with 20 rats, the others with 10 rats in each group. Preparation of traumatic brain injury models by using the ECCI instrument system, knocking parameter is 5m/s, depth of 3mm. Acupuncture group 1 and 2 were treated in the second day after been made, acupuncture group 3 started treatment in the eighth day, by acupunctureing GV20, GV26, the contralateral limb of the damaged parts select LI11, ST36, LI4, KI1, 1 time a day, 3-5min every time, using uniform reinforcing-reducing method. Acupuncture group 1and 3 were took materials in the eighth day after the treatment. Acupuncture group 2 were drawn materials in the fifteenth day after being treated, then detected the relevant indicators. From observing the changes of rats behavior status to evaluate the effect of acupuncture on brain injury. By using immunohistochemistry technique and Td T-mediated d UTP nick-end Labeling(TUNEL) method to detected the ERK expression of rats brain tissues and the cell apoptosis changes. Results:Acupuncture has effect on the number of apoptotic cells and the expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK) in brain tissues of brain injury rat models.Took observation of the behavioral states and nerve function of the acupuncture group and the model group rats after been knocked in the ninth day and the sixteenth day respectively. The results showed that through the contrast of acupuncture in rats of each group’s nerve function, balance ability and walking ability, the ability of acupuncture group 2 was better than the acupuncture group 1, acupuncture group 1 was better than acupuncture group 3, the ability of acupuncture group was better than the control group, but was worse than the blank group.Immunohistochemistry technique and TUNEL method were used to detect the expression of ERK and neuron apoptosis in brain tissues, results showed that ERK expression rate and brain cell apoptosis rate of acupuncture group 2 were lower than acupuncture group 1(P<0.01);ERK expression rate and brain cell apoptosis rate of acupuncture group 1 were lower than acupuncture group 3(P<0.01);ERK expression rate and brain cell apoptosis rate of each acupuncture group were generally lower than model group(P<0.01). Conclusion:the experiments proved that:1. Acupuncture can improve nerve function and motor function in rats with traumatic brain injury, and acupuncture treatment get involved the sooner, the longer, the curative effect will be better.2. Acupuncture treating effect and cerebral protective effect may relate to the expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase( ERK) down regulation and the inhibition of brain cell apoptosis.