Research Of Electro-acupuncture Intervention On The Regulation Of TBI Rat’s Brain Tissue Edema

Purpose: By observing Electro-acupuncture on brain edema and the retraction force of ipsilateral limbs after TBI at different time window. To research its regulatory mechanism, and explore the reasonable time window of Electro-acupuncture treatment on TBI.Method: Select 170 SD rats, number them randomly and divide into blank group,sham surgery group, model group, electro-acupuncture group1 and electro-acupuncture group 2. Prepare TBI model by using ECCI(except blank group and sham surgery group). Electro-acupuncture group 1 starts to get treatment from 4 hours after modeling. Electro-acupuncture group 2 starts to get treatment from 8th day after modeling. Choose Baihui, Hegu, Quchi,Guanyuan, Yongquan and Zusanli as Acupuncture point. Electro-acupuncture is given alternately.1. Measure and evaluate retraction force of ipsilateral forelimbs and hindlimbs on 7d, 14 d,21d after modeling. 2. Take brain tissue for pathological section staining(HE staining) on 24 h, 72 h, 7d, 10 d and 14 d after modeling, and observe the pathological change of the brain tissue under microscope. 3. Take fresh brain tissue after 24 h, 72 d, 7d, 10 d and 14 d after modeling, using Western Blot’s approach to detect the dynamic change of AQP-4in brain tissue.Result: Electro-acupuncture has effect on the content of AQP-4 in brain tissue.After 7d, 14 d and 21 d after modeling, test retraction force of ipsilateral forelimbs and hindlimbs in blank group, sham surgery group, model group,electro-acupuncture group1 and electro-acupuncture group 2. The result shows that electro-acupuncture group1 has stronger retraction force than electro-acupuncture group2, and weaker than blank group and sham surgery group.Observe HE staining section under microscope. In blank group and sham surgery group, neurons distributed evenly in brain tissue. Neurons could be observed with integral structure and no cells dead. Model group had obvious liquefaction necrosis and blank area in central damage area. Inflammatory cells gathered around blank area. Cells around them distributed unevenly.Nucleus are deeply stain, karyopycnosis and deforming are observed. And damage area were growing and expanding as time goes on. Electro-acupuncture groups’ damage area was significantly decreasing,as well as inflammatory cells’ inflamed area and damaged area. Electro-acupuncture group1 showed better effect than electro-acupuncture group2.Western Blot’s result shows that there is no discrepancy between AQP-4 in blank group and sham surgery group. Model group AQP-4 is close to blank and sham surgery group in 24 hours, however, significantly decreased in 72 hours,and stayed same level in 10 d and 14 d and got back to normal level.Electro-acupuncture group1 showed increasing AQP-4 content from 24 h, and it was higher than blank group and sham surgery group. On 72 h, it reached the peak value and stayed peak value until 7d and 14 d. Electro-acupunture group2 recovered to the same level of model group on 10 day and 14 day which is slightly higher than blank group and sham surgery group, and lower than electro-acupuncture group1.Conclusion: The early introduction of Electro-acupuncture to treatment of traumatic brain injury helps improve protective effect after TBI. Through increasing AQP-4 content in brain tissue, restrain brain edema, and decrease neurons’ injury, improve the prognosis.