Chang Lee Shu-Nu, Ho Tsung-Jung, Shibu Marthandam Asokan, Day Cecilia Hsuan, Viswanadha Vijaya Padma, Lai Chao-Hung, Chen Yi-Li, Hsieh Dennis Jine-Yuan, Chen Yueh-Sheng, Huang Chih-Yang
Department of Healthcare Administration, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Graduate Institute of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan Chinese Medicine Department, China Medical University Beigang Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Acupunct Med. 2016 Jun;34(3):201-8. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2015-010782. Epub 2015 Nov 13.
To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at LR3 on blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular remodelling and hypertrophy in male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs).
Healthy Wistar-Kyoto rats were used as normotensive controls (control group, n=9). SHRs either remained untreated (SHR group, n=9) or received EA treatment at LR3 (SHR+LR3 group, n=9) or a nearby non-acupuncture point (SHR+sham group, n=9) for 3 weeks. BP was measured on day 3 and day 19. Samples of left ventricle were stained with haematoxylin and eosin or subjected to terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP (deoxyuridine triphosphate) nick end labelling (TUNEL) to assess histology and apoptosis, respectively (n=3 per group). Western blotting was used to determine the relative expression of antioxidants and molecular markers of detoxification capacity, cardiac hypertrophy, and apoptosis (n=5 per group).
By day 3, the systolic BP, mean BP, and diastolic BP in the untreated SHRs increased from 169.5±14, 131.6±14, and 112.2±15 mm Hg (at baseline) to 179.6±1, 137.6±4, and 118.7±5 mm Hg, respectively (p<0.001 vs control group). BP in the SHR+LR3 rats was approximately 15 mm Hg lower than the SHR and SHR+sham groups (p<0.05). SHRs also exhibited cardiac hypertrophy (evident from histological and Western blot analyses). However, SHR+LR3 rats showed significant reductions in markers of cardiac hypertrophy and apoptosis, as well as elevated expression of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1).
EA at LR3 reduced BP and had positive effects on markers of cardiac apoptosis and hypertrophy in a rat model of hypertension. Thus, EA is a potentially promising intervention to treat cardiovascular remodelling secondary to hypertension.
研究电针足厥阴肝经3穴（LR3）对雄性自发性高血压大鼠（SHR）血压（BP）及心血管重塑和肥厚的影响。
将健康的Wistar - Kyoto大鼠作为正常血压对照组（对照组，n = 9）。SHR大鼠分为未治疗组（SHR组，n = 9）、接受LR3电针治疗组（SHR + LR3组，n = 9）或附近非穴位假针刺组（SHR +假针刺组，n = 9），治疗3周。在第3天和第19天测量血压。取左心室样本进行苏木精 - 伊红染色或末端脱氧核苷酸转移酶介导的dUTP缺口末端标记法（TUNEL）检测，分别评估组织学和细胞凋亡情况（每组n = 3）。采用蛋白质免疫印迹法测定抗氧化剂及解毒能力、心肌肥厚和细胞凋亡分子标志物的相对表达水平（每组n = 5）。
至第3天，未治疗的SHR大鼠收缩压、平均动脉压和舒张压分别从基线时的169.5±14、131.6±14和112.2±15 mmHg升高至179.6±1、137.6±4和118.7±5 mmHg（与对照组相比，p < 0.001）。SHR + LR3组大鼠的血压比SHR组和SHR +假针刺组低约15 mmHg（p < 0.05）。SHR大鼠还表现出心肌肥厚（组织学和蛋白质免疫印迹分析均有体现）。然而，SHR + LR3组大鼠心肌肥厚和细胞凋亡标志物显著降低，包括超氧化物歧化酶 - 1（SOD1）在内的抗氧化酶表达升高。
电针LR3可降低高血压大鼠模型的血压，并对心肌细胞凋亡和肥厚标志物产生积极影响。因此，电针是治疗高血压继发心血管重塑的一种潜在有效干预措施。
