Neuroprotective effects of electroacupuncture on early- and late-stage spinal cord injury

作     者：Min-fei Wu Shu-quan Zhang Jia-bei Liu Ye Li Qing-san Zhu Rui Gu 

作者机构：Department of Orthopedics Bethune Second Hospital of Jilin University Department of Orthopedics Tianjin Nankai Hospital Department of Orthopedics China-Japan Union Hospital Jilin University 

出 版 物：《Neural Regeneration Research》 (中国神经再生研究（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2015年第10卷第10期

页      面：1628-1634页

核心收录：

学科分类：0710[理学-生物学] 1005[医学-中医学] 1002[医学-临床医学] 1001[医学-基础医学(可授医学、理学学位)] 100512[医学-针灸推拿学] 10[医学] 

基　　金：supported by a grant from the Science and Technology Development Program of Jilin Province of China No.2011084 

主　　题：nerve regeneration spinal cord injury electroacupuncture locomotion Rho A Nogo A glial fibrillary acidic protein neurofilament 200 neural regeneration 

摘      要：Previous studies have shown that the neurite growth inhibitor Nogo-A can cause secondary neural damage by activating Rho A. In the present study, we hypothesized that electroacupuncture promotes neurological functional recovery after spinal cord injury by inhibiting Rho A expression. We established a rat model of acute spinal cord injury using a modification of Allen＇s method. The rats were given electroacupuncture treatment at Dazhui（Du14）, Mingmen（Du4）, Sanyinjiao（SP6）, Huantiao（GB30）, Zusanli（ST36） and Kunlun（BL60） acupoints with a sparsedense wave at a frequency of 4 Hz for 30 minutes, once a day, for a total of 7 days. Seven days after injury, the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan（BBB） locomotor scale and inclined plane test scores were significantly increased, the number of apoptotic cells in the spinal cord tissue was significantly reduced, and Rho A and Nogo-A m RNA and protein expression levels were decreased in rats given electroacupuncture compared with rats not given electroacupuncture. Four weeks after injury, pathological tissue damage in the spinal cord at the site of injury was alleviated, the numbers of glial fibrillary acidic protein- and neurofilament 200-positive fibers were increased, the latencies of somatosensory-evoked and motor-evoked potentials were shortened, and their amplitudes were increased in rats given electroacupuncture. These findings suggest that electroacupuncture treatment reduces neuronal apoptosis and decreases Rho A and Nogo-A m RNA and protein expression at the site of spinal cord injury, thereby promoting tissue repair and neurological functional recovery.