Zhao Ying, Chen Sijia, Yu Wenjuan, Cai Saoxi, Zhang Li, Wang Xiuzhi, Tang Anke
The Key Laboratory of Animal Biology of Chongqing, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 400047, China.
Sheng Wu Yi Xue Gong Cheng Xue Za Zhi. 2010 Dec;27(6):1322-6.
In this research project, rats were made into animal models of acute focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion (IR) by occlusion of their middle cerebral artery (MCAO). We observed the effect of endogenous endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and serum cytokines on cerebral ischemia rats treated by electro-acupuncture(EA). The results showed: MCAO model had high stability after EA treatment which was delivered via the acupuncture needles inserted into "quchi" and "zusanli" points, the nervous functions of cerebral IR rats recovered faster than those of rats not treated; EPCs in rats' blood increased after acute focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion; and the growth rate was obvious in IR group. This phenomenon might be related to the inflammation elicited by injury of ischemia and self-repair. Besides, EA treatment could decrease induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity, alleviate injury after cerebral ischemia, and regulate the quantity of EPCs in blood. The quantity of EPCs in blood increased in IR-24hr. In IR-48 hr, the rise of EPCs quantity was significant (P < 0.01). The level of vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF) in serum of rats after cerebral ischemia was escalated, which indicated to a certain extent that cerebral ischemia could stimulate stress reaction. EA treatment could raise VEGF level, which suggested that high expression of VEGF could accelerate mobilization, chemotaxis and homing of EPCs. At the same time, the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) also changed. In conclusion, EA treatment could promote neovascularization after cerebral ischemia by mobilizing EPCs, decreasing iNOS activity and increasing VEGF level. This may be one of the ways by which EA could treat cerebral ischemia.
在本研究项目中，通过阻断大鼠大脑中动脉（MCAO）制作急性局灶性脑缺血再灌注（IR）动物模型。我们观察了内源性内皮祖细胞（EPCs）和血清细胞因子对电针（EA）治疗的脑缺血大鼠的影响。结果显示：通过针刺“曲池”和“足三里”穴位进行EA治疗后，MCAO模型具有较高的稳定性，脑IR大鼠的神经功能恢复比未治疗的大鼠更快；急性局灶性脑缺血再灌注后大鼠血液中的EPCs增加，且IR组的增长率明显。这种现象可能与缺血损伤引发的炎症和自我修复有关。此外，EA治疗可降低诱导型一氧化氮合酶（iNOS）活性，减轻脑缺血后的损伤，并调节血液中EPCs的数量。血液中EPCs的数量在IR - 24小时增加。在IR - 48小时，EPCs数量的增加显著（P < 0.01）。脑缺血后大鼠血清中血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）水平升高，这在一定程度上表明脑缺血可刺激应激反应。EA治疗可提高VEGF水平，这表明VEGF的高表达可加速EPCs的动员、趋化和归巢。同时，基质金属蛋白酶 - 9（MMP - 9）和碱性成纤维细胞生长因子（bFGF）的水平也发生了变化。总之，EA治疗可通过动员EPCs、降低iNOS活性和提高VEGF水平促进脑缺血后的新生血管形成。这可能是EA治疗脑缺血的途径之一。
