Shi Wen-Ying, Yan Jie, Chang Xiao-Rong, Lou Bi-Dan, Li Jin-Xiang, Huang Jie, Lin Hua, Wang Chao, Zhang Wei
The First Hospital of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410007, China.
College of Acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina, Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410007.
Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2019 Feb 25;44(2):107-12. doi: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.170332.
To compare the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of "Neiguan" (PC6) of the Pericardium Meridian, "Shenmen" (HT7) of the Heart Meridian，"Shuigou" (GV26) of the Governor Vessel and "Zhaohai" (KI6) of the Kidney Meridian on myocardial and cerebral cell apoptosis in cerebral ischemia (CI) rats, so as to explore its mechanism underlying improvement of CI based on the theory of "Heart-brain Correlation".
Forty-eight SD rats (half male and half female) were randomly divided into normal control, model, PC6, HT7, GV26 and KI6 groups (＝8 in each one). The CI model was established by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO). EA (4 Hz/20 Hz, 1.5 mA) was applied to the right PC6, HT7, GV26 or KI6 respectively for 30 min, once every 12 h for 5 times. The cell apoptosis of the ischemic myocardial and cerebral tissues was detected by TUNEL method, and the expression of cerebral and myocardial Bax and Bcl-2 was determined by using immunohistochemistry.
Following modeling, the cell apoptosis percentages and Bax-positive cells of both myocardial and cerebral tissues were significantly increased in the model group in comparison with the control group (<0.01). After EA intervention, the cerebral apoptotic percentage and cerebral Bax-positive cells in the cerebral tissue of the PC6, HT7 and GV26 groups, and the myocardial apoptosis percentage in the PC6 and HT7 groups, as well as the myocardial Bax-positive cells in the PC6 group were obviously decreased (<0.05, <0.01), while the cerebral Bcl-2 positive cells in the PC6, HT7 and GV26 groups, and the myocardial Bcl-2 positive cells in the PC6 and HT7 groups were significantly increased relevant to the model group (<0.01, <0.05). No significant changes were found in the KI 6 group in the cell apoptosis index and percentages and Bax- and Bcl-2-positive cells of both myocardium and cerebral cortex tissues compared with the model group (>0.05)．.
EA stimulation of PC6 and HT7 can inhibit CI injury induced cell apoptosis of cerebral and myocardial tissues in CI rats, which is possibly associated with its effects in down-regulating Bax expression and up-regulating Bcl-2 expression of both myocardial and cerebral tissues.
比较针刺心经“神门”（HT7）、心包经“内关”（PC6）、督脉“水沟”（GV26）和肾经“照海”（KI6）对脑缺血（CI）大鼠心肌及脑细胞凋亡的影响，基于“心脑相关”理论探讨针刺改善CI的机制。
将48只SD大鼠（雌雄各半）随机分为正常对照组、模型组、PC6组、HT7组、GV26组和KI6组，每组8只。采用大脑中动脉闭塞法（MCAO）制备CI模型。分别将电极针刺入右侧PC6、HT7、GV26或KI6，给予电针刺激（4Hz/20Hz，1.5mA），每次30min，每12h 1次，共治疗5次。采用TUNEL法检测缺血心肌及脑组织细胞凋亡情况，免疫组化法检测心肌及脑组织Bax、Bcl-2蛋白表达。
造模后，模型组心肌及脑组织细胞凋亡率及Bax阳性细胞数均较正常对照组显著升高（P<0.01）。电针干预后，PC6组、HT7组和GV26组脑组织细胞凋亡率及Bax阳性细胞数，PC6组和HT7组心肌细胞凋亡率及PC6组心肌Bax阳性细胞数均较模型组明显降低（P<0.05，P<0.01）；PC6组、HT7组和GV26组脑组织Bcl-2阳性细胞数，PC6组和HT7组心肌Bcl-2阳性细胞数均较模型组显著升高（P<0.01，P<0.05）。与模型组比较，KI6组心肌及大脑皮质组织细胞凋亡指数、凋亡率及Bax、Bcl-2阳性细胞数均无明显变化（P>0.05）。
针刺PC6、HT7可抑制CI大鼠脑组织及心肌组织细胞凋亡，其机制可能与下调心肌及脑组织Bax蛋白表达、上调Bcl-2蛋白表达有关。
