Cai Yu-Ying, Liu Zhi-Shun, Wang Shun, Wang Qi-Feng, Cui Xiao-Mei, Qu Long
Department of Acu-moxibustion, Guang-anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, China.
Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2009 Oct;34(5):297-303.
To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the related hormones of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CI-RI).
Ninety Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control, sham-operation (sham), model, EA acupoint and EA non-acupoint groups. CI-RI model was established by using modified middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and reperfusion. These rats were further divided into 1 day (d), 3 d and 7 d subgroups, with 6 cases in each. EA (1 mA, 2 Hz/30 Hz) was applied to acupoint "Zusanli" (ST 36) and "Quchi" (LI 11), and non-acupoints (5 mm lateral to ST 36 and 5 mm apart from LI 11 on the radial side respectively) for 30 min, once daily for 1 d, 3 d and 7 d separately. Serum cortisole (CORT) content was assayed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the expression of hypothalamic adrenocorticotropic releasing factor (CRF) mRNA and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNA, and pituitary adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) mRNA was assayed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method.
Compared with normal and sham groups, serum CORT levels of model and EA non-acupoint groups on the 1st, 3rd and 7th day increased significantly (P < 0.05), while compared with model groups, serum CORT level of EA acupoint groups decreased apparently (P < 0.05). Compared with normal and sham groups, hypothalamic CRF mRNA and pituitary ACTH mRNA expression of model groups were upregulated significantly on the 1st, 3rd and 7th d after CI-RI (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), and hypothalamic GR mRNA expression of model groups were obviously downregulated (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). In comparison with model groups, hypothalamic CRF mRNA and pituitary ACTH mRNA expression of EA acupoint groups at the 3 time-points, and their expression of EA non-acupoint groups on the 1st and 3rd day were remarkably downregulated (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), and hypothalamic GR mRNA expression of EA acupoint groups was upregulated significantly at the 3 time-points (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Comparison between EA acupoint and EA non-acupoint groups showed that the effect of EA acupoint groups was obviously superior to that of EA non-acupoint groups in downregulating CRF mRNA and ACTH mRNA expression and in upregulating GR mRNA expression at the 3 time-points (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).
EA of meridian-acupoints can effectively downregulate serum CORT content, hypothalamic CRF mRNA and pituitary ACTH mRNA expression and upregulate hypothalamic GR mRNA expression in CI-RI rats, which may contribute to its effect in relieving CI-RI.
观察电针对脑缺血再灌注损伤（CI-RI）大鼠下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴相关激素的影响。
将90只Wistar大鼠随机分为正常对照组、假手术组、模型组、电针穴位组和电针非穴位组。采用改良大脑中动脉闭塞（MCAO）及再灌注法建立CI-RI模型。这些大鼠再分为1天（d）、3 d和7 d亚组，每组6只。将电针（1 mA，2 Hz/30 Hz）施加于穴位“足三里”（ST 36）和“曲池”（LI 11），以及非穴位（分别在ST 36外侧5 mm和LI 11桡侧旁开5 mm处），持续30 min，每天1次，分别进行1 d、3 d和7 d。采用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）法检测血清皮质醇（CORT）含量，采用逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）法检测下丘脑促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子（CRF）mRNA、糖皮质激素受体（GR）mRNA及垂体促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）mRNA的表达。
与正常组和假手术组相比，模型组和电针非穴位组在第1、3和7天的血清CORT水平显著升高（P < 0.05），而与模型组相比，电针穴位组的血清CORT水平明显降低（P < 0.05）。与正常组和假手术组相比，模型组在CI-RI后第1、3和7天的下丘脑CRF mRNA及垂体ACTH mRNA表达显著上调（P < 0.01，P < 0.05），模型组下丘脑GR mRNA表达明显下调（P < 0.01，P < 0.05）。与模型组相比，电针穴位组在3个时间点的下丘脑CRF mRNA及垂体ACTH mRNA表达，以及电针非穴位组在第1和3天的表达均显著下调（P < 0.01，P < 0.05），电针穴位组在3个时间点的下丘脑GR mRNA表达显著上调（P < 0.01，P < 0.05）。电针穴位组与电针非穴位组比较，电针穴位组在3个时间点下调CRF mRNA和ACTH mRNA表达及上调GR mRNA表达的效果明显优于电针非穴位组（P < 0.01，P < 0.05）。
经穴电针可有效下调CI-RI大鼠血清CORT含量、下丘脑CRF mRNA及垂体ACTH mRNA表达，并上调下丘脑GR mRNA表达，这可能是其缓解CI-RI的作用机制。
