School of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Personnel Division, Beijing 100029, China.
J Tradit Chin Med. 2019 Aug;39(4):502-508.
To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at Taichong (LR 3) and Baihui (DU 20) on myocardial hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs).
Thirty-six SHRs were randomly assigned to model, EA, and Losartan groups, with twelve rats per group. Twelve Wistar Kyoto rats were selected as the normal control group. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and cardiac function were measured in all rats. Expression levels of factors associated with the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway were evaluated by Western blotting and real-time PCR. Pathological changes of the heart tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining.
After treatment, enhanced SBP was significantly decreased in the EA and Losartan groups compared with the model group (P < 0.01). Echocardiographic and morphological analyses revealed that enhanced end-diastolic interventricular septal thickness and left ventricular posterior wall thickness, as well as ratio of left ventricular weight to body weight were markedly diminished in the EA and Losartan groups (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), while reduced left ventricular end-diastolic dimension and left ventricular ejection fraction were significantly ameliorated (P < 0.01). Real-time PCR and western blotting analyses showed that the expression levels of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR in SHRs were significantly up-regulated by EA and Losartan (P < 0.01), while the expression levels of PTEN and ANP were down-regulated (P < 0.01).
EA at Taichong (LR 3) and Baihui (DU 20) inhibited the development of cardiac hypertrophy and improved the cardiac function in SHRs, possibly through regulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway.
观察针刺太冲（LR3）、百会（DU20）对自发性高血压大鼠（SHR）心肌肥厚的影响。
将 36 只 SHR 随机分为模型组、电针组和氯沙坦组，每组 12 只。另选 12 只 Wistar 大鼠作为正常对照组。检测各组大鼠的收缩压（SBP）和心功能，Western blot 和实时 PCR 检测各组大鼠心肌组织中与磷脂酰肌醇 3-激酶/蛋白激酶 B/哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白（PI3K/Akt/mTOR）通路相关因子的表达水平，苏木素-伊红（HE）染色观察各组大鼠心肌组织的病理变化。
与模型组比较，电针组和氯沙坦组 SBP 明显降低（P＜0.01）；超声心动图和形态学分析显示，电针组和氯沙坦组大鼠的左室间隔舒张末期厚度、左室后壁舒张末期厚度和左室重量/体质量比值明显减小（P＜0.01 或 P＜0.05），左室舒张末期内径和左室射血分数明显改善（P＜0.01）；实时 PCR 和 Western blot 结果显示，电针组和氯沙坦组大鼠心肌组织中 PI3K、Akt 和 mTOR 的表达水平明显上调（P＜0.01），磷酸酶和张力蛋白同源物（PTEN）和脑钠肽（ANP）的表达水平明显下调（P＜0.01）。
针刺太冲（LR3）、百会（DU20）可抑制 SHR 心肌肥厚的发展，改善心功能，其作用机制可能与调节 PI3K/Akt/mTOR 信号通路有关。
