Effects Of Electroacupuncture On Urodynamics And Intramedullary Cyt-C And Caspase-3 In Rats With Neurogenic Bladder After Supraorbital Spinal Cord Injury

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture on cytochrome C(Cyt-C)and apoptotic protease activating factor 1(Apaf-1)and Caspase-3,9 protein in rats with neurogenic bladder after complete sacral spinal cord injury,to explore the mechanism of improving bladder function and provide some theoretical basis for clinical application.Methods: A total of 60 female Sprague-Dawley were involved,in which 24 rats were also randomly divided into sham group(n=12)and blank group(n=12).The sham group only exposed the spinal cord without cutting off.The other36 rats were randomly selected to establish the neurogenic bladder model after spinal cord injury,and 24 successful models selected were randomly divided into model group(n=12)and electroacupuncture group(n=12).The electroacupuncture group was electroacupunctured on Dazhui(DU14)Ciliao(BL32)Zhongji(RN03)Sanyinjiao(SP06)for seven days continuously.All of them were accessed with urodynamic test,TUNEL method was used to determine the apoptosis rate of the spinal cord,and Western blotting was used to detect the expression of Cyt-C,Apaf-1 and Caspase-3,9protein.Results: Compared to the blank group and the sham group,(1)the number and level of detrusor muscle fibers were increased by HE staining,and inflammatory cells infiltrated in the lamina propria and mucosa,and some of them were destroyed,The urinary bladder pressure and leakage point pressure increased(P<0.01),the maximum bladder capacity and compliance decreased(P<0.01),The apoptosis rate of the spinal cord increased(P<0.01),the expression of Cyt-C,Apaf-1 and Caspase-3,9protein increased(P<0.01)in the model group.(2)HE staining showed that the degree of fibrosis was decreased and the number of cells was decreased,the urinary bladder pressure and leakage point pressure increased(P<0.05),the maximum bladder capacity and compliance decreased(P<0.01),the apoptosis rate of the spinal cord increased(P<0.01),the expression of Cyt-C,Apaf-1 and Caspase-3,9protein increased(P<0.05)in the electroacupuncture group.Compared to the model group,HE staining under light microscopy bladder detrusor damage is lighter,the urinary bladder pressure and leakage point pressure decreased(P<0.05),the maximum bladder capacity and compliance increased(P<0.01),the apoptosis rate of the spinal cord decreased(P<0.01),the expression of Cyt-C,Apaf-1 and Caspase-3,9 protein decreased(P<0.05)in the electroacupuncture group.Conclusion: Electroacupuncture on Dazhui,Ciliao,Zhongji and Sanyinjiao could increase the maximum bladder capacity and compliance,decrease the urinary bladder pressure and leakage point pressure,and improve the bladder function after spinal cord injury in rats.The mechanisms may be related with the down-regulation of Cyt-C,Apaf-1 and Caspase-3,9 protein.