Zhang Yi-min, Dai Qiu-fu, Chen Wei-hao, Jiang Shu-ting, Chen Sheng-xin, Zhang Yu-juan, Tang Chun-zhi, Cheng Shao-bing
Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
Acupunct Med. 2016 Feb;34(1):48-54. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2014-010742. Epub 2015 Aug 21.
To observe the effects of acupuncture treatment on the expression of Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway-related genes (Wnt3a, β-catenin and Sox2) in the injured cerebral cortex of rats with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
A controlled impact model of TBI was established using Feeney's free-drop method. Seventy-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following three groups: a normal group (n=18) that was left untreated; a model group (n=30) that received no treatment after TBI; and an acupuncture group (n=30) that received acupuncture (at LI4, GV20, GV26 and GV16) after TBI. Rats in each group were randomly and equally divided into 3-day, 7-day and 14-day subgroups according to the duration of therapy. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to measure mRNA expression of Wnt3a, β-catenin and Sox2. Western blots were performed to determine the expression levels of WNT3a, β-Catenin and SOX2.
Wnt3a mRNA was upregulated in the 7-day and 14-day acupuncture subgroups compared with the corresponding model subgroups (p<0.05). β-catenin expression was significantly increased in the 7-day and 14-day acupuncture subgroups compared with the corresponding model subgroups (p<0.01). In the 3-day and 7-day acupuncture subgroups, Sox2 expression was significantly higher than that in the normal and model groups (p<0.01 each). The levels of WNT3a, β-catenin and SOX2 were generally consistent with the corresponding mRNA levels.
Acupuncture exerts a regulatory effect on the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway, which may in turn influence the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells.
观察针刺治疗对创伤性脑损伤（TBI）大鼠损伤大脑皮质中Wnt/β-连环蛋白信号通路相关基因（Wnt3a、β-连环蛋白和Sox2）表达的影响。
采用Feeney自由落体法建立TBI的控制性撞击模型。78只Sprague-Dawley大鼠随机分为以下三组：正常组（n = 18），不做处理；模型组（n = 30），TBI后不接受治疗；针刺组（n = 30），TBI后接受针刺治疗（针刺穴位为合谷穴、百会穴、水沟穴和神庭穴）。根据治疗持续时间，将每组大鼠随机等分为3天、7天和14天亚组。采用实时荧光定量PCR（RT-qPCR）检测Wnt3a、β-连环蛋白和Sox2的mRNA表达。进行蛋白质免疫印迹法以测定WNT3a、β-连环蛋白和SOX2的表达水平。
与相应模型亚组相比，7天和14天针刺亚组的Wnt3a mRNA上调（p < 0.05）。与相应模型亚组相比，7天和14天针刺亚组的β-连环蛋白表达显著增加（p < 0.01）。在3天和7天针刺亚组中，Sox2表达显著高于正常组和模型组（均p < 0.01）。WNT3a、β-连环蛋白和SOX2的水平与相应的mRNA水平总体一致。
针刺对Wnt/β-连环蛋白信号通路具有调节作用，这可能进而影响内源性神经干细胞的增殖和分化。
