Department of Neurology, Tianyou Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Number 9 of Tujialing, Wuhan, 430061, Hubei Province, China.
Department of Neurology, Huanggang Central Hospital, Qi 'an Avenue NO.126, Huangzhou District, Huanggang City, 438000, Hubei Province, China.
J Mol Neurosci. 2024 Jul 20;74(3):71. doi: 10.1007/s12031-024-02248-w.
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese therapy with treating potential against cognitive dysfunction. MicroRNA-21-3p (miR-21-3p) is well characterized for its benefits on neural tissues. The current study hypothesizes that the acupuncture aiming "Du" channel could attenuate IS-induced neural disorders by modulating the function of REST/miR-21-3p axis. Complications associated with IS are induced by a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model in vivo. The disorders are then handled with the acupuncture with nimodipine as the positive control. It is found that the acupuncture improved cognitive function, reduced brain apoptosis, and increased the viable neuron number of model rats. Additionally, the production of cytokines is also suppressed by the acupuncture. At the molecular level, the level of miR-21-3p was up-regulated, while the level of REST was down-regulated by the acupuncture. The changes in miR-REST/21-3p contributed to the inhibition of PDCD4. Collectively, the findings in the current study highlight that miR-21-3p is associated with the anti-IS function of the acupuncture, which is mediated by the inhibition of REST.
针灸是一种具有治疗认知功能障碍潜力的传统中国疗法。 microRNA-21-3p (miR-21-3p) 因其对神经组织的益处而得到很好的描述。本研究假设，针刺“督”穴可以通过调节 REST/miR-21-3p 轴的功能来减轻 IS 引起的神经障碍。与 IS 相关的并发症是通过体内大脑中动脉闭塞 (MCAO) 模型引起的。然后用针刺和尼莫地平作为阳性对照来处理这些疾病。研究发现，针刺可改善认知功能，减少脑凋亡，增加模型大鼠的存活神经元数量。此外，针刺还抑制了细胞因子的产生。在分子水平上，针刺可上调 miR-21-3p 的水平，而下调 REST 的水平。miR-REST/21-3p 的变化抑制了 PDCD4。综上所述，本研究结果表明，miR-21-3p 与针灸的抗 IS 功能有关，其机制是通过抑制 REST 实现的。
