Guo Jianjun, Liu Jianhua, Fu Wenbin, Ma Wentao, Xu Zhenhua, Yuan Mingquan, Zhou Xiaodong, Hu Jiming
College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
J Physiol Sci. 2008 Oct;58(5):309-15. doi: 10.2170/physiolsci.RP010508. Epub 2008 Oct 9.
Recently, electroacupuncture (EA) has been gaining more and more attention as a treatment for epilepsy. However, concrete evidence is needed to better understand its antiepileptic effect and the mechanism underlying this effect. The present study was designed to assess the effect of EA stimulation of hindlimb on the incidence of behavioral seizures (spontaneous recurrent seizures, [SRS]) and electroencephalogram (EEG) seizures, and the extent of supragranular mossy fiber sprouting (MFS) using the lithium-pilocarpine rat model of epilepsy. Sham EA at the same point without electrical stimulation was set as the control. EA and the sham EA were performed bilaterally (at the symmetrical Zusanli acupoints on both hind legs) 30 times every two days. The numbers of behavioral seizures and EEG seizures were then analyzed to evaluate the antiepileptic effect. After confirmation of the antiepileptic effect, MFS in the dentate gyrus (DG) supragranular layer was investigated by Timm's staining. The results showed that the EA stimulation of hindlimb significantly reduced the behavioral seizures, EEG seizures, and supragranular MFS; however, the sham EA without electrical stimulation showed no significant effect on seizures or supragranular MFS. The findings indicate that EA stimulation of hindlimb possesses an antiepileptic effect, which is probably related to its suppressive effect on aberrant MFS in DG.
最近，电针作为一种癫痫治疗方法越来越受到关注。然而，需要确凿的证据来更好地理解其抗癫痫作用及其潜在机制。本研究旨在利用锂-匹罗卡品癫痫大鼠模型，评估后肢电针刺激对行为性癫痫发作（自发性反复癫痫发作，[SRS]）和脑电图癫痫发作的发生率，以及颗粒上层苔藓纤维发芽（MFS）程度的影响。将在同一点进行无电刺激的假电针作为对照。电针和假电针均双侧进行（在两条后腿对称的足三里穴位），每两天进行30次。然后分析行为性癫痫发作和脑电图癫痫发作的次数，以评估抗癫痫效果。在确认抗癫痫效果后，通过Timm染色研究齿状回（DG）颗粒上层的MFS。结果表明，后肢电针刺激显著减少了行为性癫痫发作、脑电图癫痫发作和颗粒上层MFS；然而，无电刺激的假电针对癫痫发作或颗粒上层MFS没有显著影响。这些发现表明，后肢电针刺激具有抗癫痫作用，这可能与其对DG中异常MFS的抑制作用有关。
