[Effect of Acupuncture on Neurological Function and Related Differentially-depressed Profiles in the Brain of Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Rats Using Antibody Chips Technique].

OBJECTIVE

To observe the effect of acupuncture on changes of neurological function and expression of proteins in the ischemic brain region in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rats with protein chip technique, so as to reveal the profiles of cerebral proteins related to its effectiveness in improving cerebral ischemia (CI).

METHODS

SD rats were rando-mized into sham operation (sham), CI model, non-acupoint and acupoint groups (=10 in each group). The CI model was established by MCAO according to modified Longa's method. For rats of the acupoint group, "Dazhui" (CV 14), "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Shuigou" (GV 26) were punctured by twirling the filiform needles for about 1 min, and repeated once again during 30 min of need-le retention, which was conducted once every 12 h, and 6 times altogether. The non-acupoints were about 3 mm away from the above-mentioned acupoints and stimulated with the same method and same procedures. The neurological deficit score was scaled according to Longa's method. The differentially-expressed proteins (≥ 1.5 folds in up- and down-regulation) in the ischemic region of the brain were detected by using Springbio 720 antibody chip technology.

RESULTS

Compared with the sham group, the neurological deficit score was significantly higher in the model group (<0.01), while compared with the model group, the neurological deficit scores were considerably in both acupoint and non-acupoint groups (<0.05, <0.01). The therapeutic effect of acupoint group was evidently superior to that of the non-acupoint group in improving neurological function (<0.05). Compared with the sham group, the differentially-expressed proteins in the ischemic brain including 33 up-regulated and 12 down-regulated were found in the model group, mainly functioning in cell apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, cell differentiation and proliferation, cell cytoskeleton and connection, cell signal transduction, DNA repair and transcription factors. Compared with the model group, the differentially-expressed proteins including 12 up-regulated and 31 down-regulated in the acupoint group, and 15 up-regu-lated and 17 down-regulated in the non-acupoint group were detected, functioning being the same as those mentioned above in the model group.

CONCLUSIONS

Manual acupuncture stimulation of GV 14, GV 20 and GV 26 can improve neurological function in CI rats, which may be associated with its function in regulating the expression of many proteins in the ischemic region of the brain.