电针对脑缺血再灌注大鼠海马神经元GluR-2表达的影响

目的探讨电针对短暂性局灶性脑缺血再灌注损伤区神经元谷氨酸受体-2(GluR-2)表达的影响及其意义。方法手术制作中动脉栓塞(MCAO)大鼠模型;应用免疫组织化学方法检测海马CA1区GluR-2的定位表达,并应用免疫印迹(Western blot)方法对其进行定量分析。结果免疫组化结果:正常组、假手术组大鼠海马CA1区GluR-2的阳性反应强度无明显差别(P>0.05);MCAO模型组大鼠海马CA1区GluR-2的阳性反应比正常组和假手术组明显减弱(P<0.05);电针 MCAO模型组海马CA1区GluR-2的阳性反应比手术组明显增强,但比正常组和假手术组仍显偏弱(P<0.05)。Western blot结果与免疫组化结果一致。结论本试验的结果提示电针针刺可上调GluR-2的表达,从而对神经元起到一定保护作用。     

Acupuncture pretreatment protects heart from injury in rats with myocardial ischemia and reperfusion via inhibition of the beta(1)-adrenoceptor signaling pathway

Our previous study showed that a cardioprotective effect was produced by pretreatment with acupuncture at bilateral Neiguan acupoints (PC6) and the effect of EA was diminished by propranolol, a nonspecific antagonist of beta-adrenoceptors (beta-ARs) which are the most powerful cardiac receptors, indicating an involvement of beta-ARs. The present study explored further the signaling mechanism underlying the cardioprotective effect of acupuncture pretreatment in rats subjected to myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (MIR). Myocardial ischemia was achieved by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery and reperfusion by releasing the ligation. Adult rats were divided into three groups, namely, a normal control (NC) group, a group subjected to ischemia and reperfusion (IR) only, and a group given electro-acupuncture (EA) before IR. For EA, bilateral Neiguan points (PC6) of the rats were stimulated for 30 min once a day for 3 consecutive days. The ST segment of ECG, the ratio of infarct size over risk zone, and the contents of beta(1)-adrenoceptor (beta(1)-AR), Gsalpha protein and cAMP in ischemic myocardium were compared among the three groups. IR increased the elevation of ECG ST segment, myocardial infarct size, contents of beta(1)-AR, Gsalpha protein and cAMP. These effects were attenuated by EA pretreatment at bilateral Neiguan acupoints. In conclusion, the present results indicate that EA produces cardioprotective effect against IR which may be mediated via the beta(1)-AR-Gs-protein-cAMP pathway.     

Electro-acupuncture upregulates CGRP expression after rat spinal cord transection

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) plays a variety of important roles within the nervous system. Increasing CGRP expression could improve the survival of injured neurons and prevent neuronal loss. In this study, we first evaluated in vitro the neuroprotective function of CGRP on mechanically injured cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) of rats. We then verified this result through exogenous administration of CGRP in a spinal cord transected completely in rats. Finally, we investigated the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) on CGRP expression following the spinal cord transected completely in rats. We found that EA can improve CGRP expression, and exogenous CGRP may promote the survival of injured neurons, both in vivo and in vitro. Our results suggest that CGRP may be a specific neuropeptide expressed in GV-EA treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI), and that CGRP may play a neuroprotective role in survival of neurons injured mechanically.