Pagani Lucia, Manni Luigi, Aloe Luigi
Institute of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine, NGF Section, CNR-EBRI, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143 Rome, Italy.
Brain Res. 2006 May 30;1092(1):198-206. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.03.074. Epub 2006 May 11.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the progression of retinal degeneration in rats affected by inherited retinitis pigmentosa (IRP) and to correlate this event with the retinal expression of neurotrophins. Thirty-day-old Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats were exposed to 25-min-long daily sessions of low-frequency EA for 11 consecutive days. Control-untreated and EA-treated rats were sacrificed 1 h after the last EA session, and their retina removed for biochemical, molecular, and immunohistochemical analyses. Our data revealed that daily sessions of low-frequency EA for 11 days to RCS rats during a critical developmental stage of retinal cell degeneration cause an increase of retinal nerve growth factor (NGF) and NGF high-affinity receptor (TrkA) expression; and increase of outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness; and enhanced vascularization. These findings suggest the possible beneficial effects of EA treatment in the development of IRP-like retinal degeneration of RCS rats and that the mechanism through which EA might exerts its action on the regulation of NGF and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and/or their receptors in retinal cells.
本研究旨在探讨电针（EA）对遗传性视网膜色素变性（IRP）大鼠视网膜变性进展的影响，并将此事件与神经营养因子的视网膜表达相关联。30日龄的皇家外科学院（RCS）大鼠连续11天每天接受25分钟的低频电针治疗。在最后一次电针治疗后1小时，处死未治疗的对照大鼠和接受电针治疗的大鼠，并取出它们的视网膜进行生化、分子和免疫组织化学分析。我们的数据显示，在视网膜细胞变性的关键发育阶段，对RCS大鼠连续11天每天进行低频电针治疗会导致视网膜神经生长因子（NGF）和NGF高亲和力受体（TrkA）表达增加；外核层（ONL）厚度增加；血管生成增强。这些发现表明电针治疗对RCS大鼠IRP样视网膜变性的发展可能具有有益作用，并且电针可能通过该机制对视网膜细胞中NGF和脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）和/或其受体的调节发挥作用。
