Neuro
Neuro
Neuro
A Journal of the Bangladesh Pharmacological Society (BDPS) Bangladesh J Pharmacol 2016; 11: S98-S105
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ancient China, acupuncture has been used for more suture, and then the incision was sewed up. After a two
than 1,000 years as a treatment or as an adjuvant -hour restoration, the rat was put in a sealed trans-
modality for patients with stroke. It has been frequently parent vessel and set in the warm bathe with the
used in Asian countries and has become increasingly temperature of 37C. Then the vessel was passed into
popular in the western world (MacPherson and gas with low content of oxygen (including 8% of
Hammerschlag, 2012; Fang et al., 2012; Ji and Zhang, oxygen and 92% of nitrogen) at the velocity of 1 L/min
2009; Zhou et al., 2009). for 2.5 hours. The survivors were kept warm for
another one hour and then received behavioral tests.
Several animal studies have indicated neuroprotective
For the sham-surgery group, after anesthesia, the LCCA
effect of acupunture on hypoxic-ischemic injury. It was
was separated without ligation and the incision was
shown to play an important role in functional
sewed up without any hypoxic treatment. The rat died
reorganization and cerebral compensation (Wang et al.,
or not awake 2 hours after surgery were excluded.
2005; Yi et al, 2006; Yang et al., 2005; Li et al., 2012;
Behavioral tests were made four hours later, and rats in
Gao et al., 2011). The possible mechanisms involved
this group showed no behavioral abnormality.
have attracted more and more attentions. So, using a
HIE rat model, in the present study we evaluated the Electroacupuncture treatment
in vivo therapeutic efficacy of electroacupuncture and
The bilateral common carotid arteries were separated,
investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms,
without ligation, and the rats were without hypoxia
especially the role of mTOR in the process.
after incisions sutured in the sham surgery group. The
bilateral common carotid arteries were separated and
ligated, and incisions were sutured, without any other
Materials and Methods
treatment in model group.
This study was performed at the Experimental Center,
In the electroacupuncture group, four acupoints inclu-
Medical College of Qingdao University Affiliated
ding Baihui (GV20), Dazhui (GV14), Quchi (LI11) and
Hospital, from September 2013 to May 2014.
Yongquan (KI1) were chosen, positioned according to
Animal the ordinary acupoints for acupuncture in rats. Locali-
zation of the acupoints was based on the International
A total of 236 seven-day-old SD rats (belonging to 11
Standard Scheme for acupoint names of acupuncture
broods with the mothers included, 10 to 11 newborn
drafted by the experimental acupuncture branch of the
rats per brood), male or female, breast-feeding, specific
China Acupuncture Academy. Baihui (GV20) acupoint
pathogen-free (SPF) grade, weighing 10.5 to 15 g
is located in the center of the parietal bone. Dazhui
(average weight, 112.8 1.6 g), were provided by
(GV14) is located between the seventh cervical vertebra
Qingdao Drug Detection Institute (No. SCXK (Lu) 2013-
and the first thoracic vertebra, just in the center of the
0001). They were maintained in a temperature-
back. Quchi (LI11) is in the midpoint of the line
controlled (20 to 25C) facility with a 12 hours light/12
between the outer end of the elbow stripes and the
hours dark cycle. Among which four weighing less than
epicondyle of the humerus, and Yongquan (KI1) is
11 g were excluded. In each brood, it is randomly
located in the plantar anterior third (toes excluded).
assigned into two groups, sham-surgery group and HIE
Needles 0.5 inch in length were horizontally inserted
model group. Totally there were 25 rats in the former
backwards into Baihui (GV20) for 0.2 inch deep,
group and 211 rats in the latter group.
perpendicularly inserted into Dazhui (GV14) for 0.2
Finally 176 rats were successfully established as the HIE inch deep, perpendicularly inserted into Quchi (LI11)
model with the successful rate of 83.4%. Then the for 0.5 inch deep and rapidly inserted into Yongquan
successfully established rats were randomly divided (KI1) without leaving the needle, respectively. The two
into the HIE model group, sham-acpuncture group, acupoints Baihui (GV20) and Quchi (LI11) were
acupuncture group, antagonists group, and connected with G-6805 electric acupuncture apparatus
acupuncture and antagonists group, with 35 rats in each (Shanghai Huayi Medical Instrument Factory, China),
group. All groups were subdivided into four subgroups and receive electroacupuncture for 10 min with the
in terms of four time periods of 1d, 3d, 7d and 21d. continuous wave at the frequency of 5 to 10 Hz with the
local tissue shivering slightly, and with the voltage
Establishment of HIE animal model
between 3 to 5V. The acupuncture therapy was given
The HIE model was constructed according to the LCCA once a day for consecutive day 1, 3, 7 and 21
ligation method in combination with hypoxic treatment respectively. The positions were from Baihui (GV20),
described by Rice et al. (1981). Briefly, animals were Dazhui (GV14), Quchi (LI11) and Yongquan (KI1) by 1
anesthetized by inhaling ether. In the supine position, a cm. In the antagonists group the HIE model rats were
midline ventral incision was made to expose the LCCA, injected wortmannin 5 uL (20 ug/kg wortmannin,
which was carefully separated from the vagus nerve. dissolved in DMSO) to the left ventricle by stereo
The LCCA was separated, ligated using a 5/0 silk positioning instrument. The acupuncture and anta-
S100 Bangladesh J Pharmacol 2016; 11: S98-S105
gonists group had the operations of antagonists group primary antibodies: mTOR monoclonal antibody (Cell
and electroacupuncture group at the same time. Signaling, USA). Anti-GAPDH antibody (Abcam, USA).
GAPDH was used as an internal loading control. After
Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining for determination of
being washed and incubated with the goat anti rabbit
neuronal damage
secondary antibody (Maixin Company, China), the
Rats were anesthetized by inhaling ether at the immune complexes were visualized with a chemilumi-
indicated time. The left ventricle was cannulated and nescence reagent. Western blots were quantified
perfused with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) densitometrically with Quantity One software (Bio-Rad,
(preheated at 37C), and then perfused and fixed with USA), and the intensity values were normalized to
4% (w/v) paraformaldehyde (in 0.1 M PBS (pH 7.4), GAPDH.
precooled at 4C) firstly at full speed till convulsion of
Statistical analysis
the limbs ceased, then perfusion was kept at the
velocity of 1 mL/min. Then, the brain was quickly All data were analyzed using SPSS 13.0 software (SPSS,
separated with the cerebellum and the brainstem Chicago, IL, USA). Measurement data were expressed
removed and placed in 4% paraformaldehyde for 24 as mean SD. Comparisons among several groups
hours at 4C. The specimens were dehydrated with 20% were made using one-way analysis of variance under
sucrose and frozen. The frozen sections were then equal variances and Kruskal-wallis H analysis under
serially cut into 20 m thick coronal slices. HE staining unequal variances. Comparisons between groups were
was performed according to the standard protocol The made using SNK-q test under equal variances and
sections were observed under a light microscope Dunnetts T3 test under unequal variances. p<0.05 (two
(Nikon, Japan) using a magnification of 200, and -tail) was considered statistically significant.
photographed.
Shame-surgery group
A1 A3 A7 A21
B1 B3 B7 B21
Shame acupuncture
group
C1 C3 C7 C21
Acupuncture group
D1 D3 D7 D21
Antagonist group
E1 E3 E7 E21
Antagonist and
acupuncture group
Figure 1: Effect of electroacupuncture treatment on neuronal damage in the injured cortex of rat with HIE (Hematoxylin-eosin
staining , optical microscope, 200).
MTOR mRNA expression levels were detected with the differences were significant compared to that of
realtime RT-PCR. As was shown in Figure 2, compared model group (p<0.05). Table I showed the changes of
with that of the sham-surgery group, expression levels mTOR mRNA in each group at different times.
of mTOR mRNA in the cerebral cortex with hypoxic-
Expression changes of mTOR protein in the cerebral
ischemic injury from the model group increased at the
cortex of rats from different time sessions and different
first day post-surgery (p<0.05), continued increasing
groups
three days later and reached the peak at the seventh
day (p<0.05). To 21 days, the expression of mTOR MTOR expression was analyzed by western blotting. In
mRNA in model group was not significantly increased, comparison with the sham-surgery group, mTOR
but compared with the sham operation group, and the expression at the protein level was significantly
difference was also significantly (p<0.05). The increased both in model group (p<0.05) and in the
expression in the sham-acupuncture group was close to electroacupuncture group (p<0.05) at the 1st, 3rd, 7th,
that of the model group with sustained rising in 1d, 3d, 21th day. Furthermore, mTOR expression was increa-
7d and 21d, and the differences were not significant sed both in the model group and in electroacupuncture
(p>0.05). In the electroacupuncture group, mTOR group. There was statistical significance between the
expression also increased since the first day, and model group and the electroacupuncture group in the
continued to rise till the 21st day. All of the differences four time periods (p<0.05). MTOR expressions in
were significantly (p<0.05 vs the sham-surgery group). electroacupuncture and antagonists group were not
The expressions of mTOR in the acupuncture and significant compared to model group at 1st, 3rd, 7th
antagonists group were significantly different from that day (p>0.05), but the difference was significant at 21 rd
of the sham-surgery group in 1d, 3d and 7d, and to 21d, day (p<0.05) (Figure 3).
S102 Bangladesh J Pharmacol 2016; 11: S98-S105
4.0
3.5
3.0
mTOR mRNA expression
Shame-surgery
Model
2.5
Shame-Acupuncture
Acupuncture
2.0 Antagonists
Antagonist + Acupuncture
1.5
1.0
0.5
1 3 7 21
Time (Day)
Figure 2: Effect of electroacupuncture treatment on mTOR mRNA expression in the injured cortex of rat with HIE (real time RT-
PCR)
Table I
mRNA was normalized to the internal control GAPDH. Data are expressed as mean SD; n = 6 rats per group; ap<0.05 vs the
corresponding sham-surgery group; bp<0.05 vs the corresponding model group; cp<0.05 vs the corresponding antagonists group)
A 0.16 B 0.18
0.14 0.16
0.14
0.12
abc
abc 0.12 a
mTOR/GAPDH ratio
mTOR/GAPDH ratio
0.10
a 0.10
a a
0.08
a a 0.08
0.06
0.06
0.04
0.04
0.02 0.02
0.00 0.00
1 1
y
y
re
re
e
e
e e
er
er
e
e
s
s
ur
ur
od od
tu
tu
ur
ur
st
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rg
ct
ct
nc
nc
ni
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ct
ct
M M
su
su
un
un
go
go
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un
u
u
e-
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up
up
up
up
ta
ta
up
up
am
am
Ac
Ac
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Ac
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t+
t+
am
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mTOR mTOR
GAPDH GAPDH
C D 0.20
0.20
abc
0.18
a
0.16
0.15 a
abc a
0.14 a
mTOR/GAPDH ratio
mTOR/GAPDH ratio
0.12 a
a
0.10 0.10
0.08
0.06
0.05
0.04
0.02
0.00 0.00
1 1
y
e
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un
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up
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t+
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mTOR mTOR
GAPDH GAPDH
Figure 3: Effect of electroacupuncture treatment on mTOR protein expression in the injured cortex of rat with HIE (Western blot)
(A)-(D) mTOR protein expression at the 1st, 3rd , 7th and 21st day respectively
Bar graphs show densitometric analysis of Western blot of mTOR protein. The densitometric quantification was normalized to the internal control
GAPDH. Data are expressed as mean SD (n = 6 rats per group, ap<0.05 vs the sham-surgery group; bp<0.05 vs the model group; cp<0.05 vs the
antagonists group)
S104 Bangladesh J Pharmacol 2016; 11: S98-S105
apoptosis and promote neurological functional changes of mTOR in the hypoxic-ischemic injured
recovery in a focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion cerebral cortex at the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 21st day post-
injured rat model (Lan et al., 2013; Hong et al., 2013; surgery and explored the interventing effect of
Chen et al., 2012; Zhao et al., 2010). Yongquan (KI1) is electroacupuncture. Results showed that the expression
the significant Jing-Well point of the kidney channel of of mTOR in model group increased at the 1st day after
Foot-Shaoyin. Using in combination with Baihui hypoxia, and the upward trend was more obvious at
(GV20), it was shown to improve energy and the 7th day, and it was not obvious from 7th day to 21st
intelligence, clear the brain collaterals and coordinate day. This suggests that rats have self protection after
the channels and collaterals (Xue et al., 2009; Xue et al., hypoxia ischemia, but the self protective ability are
2011). Acupuncture at Quchi (LI11) and Yongquan effective only in a short period of time without
(KI1) was reported to promote functional recovery of interventions. The change of mTOR in electroacu-
the extremities after neuron injury (Ji et al., 2009; Zhou puncture group showed a continuous upward trend,
et al., 2009). Considering that Baihui (GV20), Dazhui compared to model group at 1st, 3rd, 7th, and 21rd day.
(GV14), Quchi (LI11) and Yongquan (KI1) are The differences were significant.
commonly used in clinics for patient treatment and are
easy to locate, we chose the combination of the above
four acupoints in our experiments. HE staining results Conclusion
showed that electroacupuncture treatment significantly
ameliorated neuronal damage caused by hypoxic- Electroacupuncture treatment protected cortical
ischemic injury and protected structure of neurons neurons against HIE-induced neuronal damage and
against the degenerative alterations, suggesting that degenerative changes in rats, which is in association
electroacupuncture at Baihui (GV20), Dazhui (GV14), with activation of mTOR. Therefore, electroacupuncture
Quchi (LI11) and Yongquan (KI1) exerts neuropro- may become a potential therapeutic strategy for HIE of
tective function in HIE. newborn.
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Author Info
Feng Xiang Chun and Sun Qing (Principal contact)
e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
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