[Effect of Electroacupuncture on Expression of Apelin-APJ System of Cerebral Vascular Endothelial Cell in Rats with Cerebral Infarction].

OBJECTIVE

To observe the regulation of APJ and its ligand Apelin on the angiogenesis pathway after cerebral infarction and the intervention effect of acupuncture.

METHODS

Wistar rats were randomly divided into model group(=90), electroacupuncture(EA) group(=90), sham operation group(=90) and control group(=10). The first three groups were further divided into 1,3,6,9,12,24 h and 3,7, 12 d subgroups(=10 in each subgroup). The cerebral infarction model was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). EA(15 Hz, 2 mA) was applied to "Shuigou" (GV 26) for 20 min in the EA group. The 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24 h subgroups were treated immediately after modeling, the 3, 7, 9 d subgroups were treated once daily for 3, 7 or 9 days. Real-time fluorescent quantitative (RT-PCR) and Western blot were applied to detect the changes of Apelin and APJ in cerebrovascular endothelial cells, respectively.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the expression of Apelin-APJ mRNA was decreased in the model group(12 h, 12 d, <0.05, <0.01); After EA, the Apelin mRNA expression was increased in the 12 h and 7 d subgroups (<0.01), while the APJ mRNA expression was increased in the 6, 9, 12 h subgroups(<0.05, <0.01). Compared with the control group, the Apelin(1, 3, 6, 24 h and 3, 7, 12 d) and APJ(1, 3, 6, 9 h and 3 d) protein expressions were decreased in the model group(<0.01, <0.05); After EA, the Apelin protein expression was increased in the 6, 24 h and 3, 7, 12 d subgroups (<0.05, <0.01), while the APJ protein expression was increased in the 1, 9, 12, 24 h and 3, 7, 12 d subgroups (<0.05, <0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

EA can up-regulate the expression of Apelin-APJ mRNA and protein of cerebral vascular endothelial cell in MCAO rats which has an important role in the establishment of blood vessel regeneration and collateral circulation.