Acupuncture Induces the Proliferation and Differentiation of Endogenous Neural Stem Cells in Rats with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Shuting Jiang,Yimin Zhang,Qiufu Dai,Weihao Chen,Shujun Lin,Hanyu Lin,Yujuan Zhang,Ailian Chen

doi:10.1155/2016/2047412

Abstract

Purpose. To investigate whether acupuncture induced the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) in a rat model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods. 104 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal, model, and acupuncture groups. Each group was subdivided into three-day (3 d), seven-day (7 d), and fourteen-day (14 d) groups. The rat TBI model was established using Feeney's freefall epidural impact method. The rats in the acupuncture group were treated at acupoints (Baihui, Shuigou, Fengfu, Yamen, and bilateral Hegu). The normal and model groups did not receive acupuncture. The establishment of the rat TBI model and the therapeutic effect of acupuncture were assessed using neurobehavioral scoring and hematoxylin-eosin staining. The proliferation and differentiation of NSCs in TBI rats were analyzed using immunofluorescence microscopy. Results. The levels of nestin-expressing cells and bromodeoxyuridine/glial fibrillary acidic protein- (BrdU/GFAP-) and BrdU/S100 calcium-binding protein B-positive and BrdU/microtubule-associated protein 2- and BrdU/galactocerebrosidase-positive cells were more significantly increased at various time points in the acupuncture group than in the model group (P < 0.01), except for a decreased level of BrdU/GFAP-positive cells at 7 d and 14 d. Conclusion. Acupuncture induced the proliferation and differentiation of NSCs, thereby promoting neural repair in the TBI rats.

Highlights

With rapid societal development and the accompanying increase in traffic accidents, the rate of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been growing [1,2,3]
Our preliminary studies showed that acupuncture can promote the expression of nerve growth factors and brain-derived neurotrophic factors, as well as the expression of nestin and the production of astrocytes in the brain tissues of a rat model of TBI, thereby facilitating neural repair [6,7,8,9]
The reagents used in this study included a hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining kit (Solarbio, Beijing, China); a mouse anti-nestin antibody (Chemicon International Inc., Temecula, CA, USA); a mouse anti-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) antibody, a rabbit anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) antibody, a rabbit anti-microtubuleassociated protein-2 (MAP-2) antibody, a rabbit anti-S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B) antibody, and a rabbit anti-galactocerebroside (Galc) antibody (Cell Signaling, Beverly, MA, USA); a conjugated goat anti-mouse immunoglobulin G (IgG) (MultiSciences, Hangzhou, China); a conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG (Cell Signaling, Beverly, MA, USA); and BrdU

Summary

Introduction

With rapid societal development and the accompanying increase in traffic accidents, the rate of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been growing [1,2,3]. How to promote neural repair following TBI has long been an urgent and intractable problem for the medical community. Our preliminary studies showed that acupuncture can promote the expression of nerve growth factors and brain-derived neurotrophic factors, as well as the expression of nestin and the production of astrocytes in the brain tissues of a rat model of TBI, thereby facilitating neural repair [6,7,8,9]. To further elucidate the effect of acupuncture, we used a rat model of TBI to assess the acupuncture-induced changes in relevant protein expression in NSCs at different time points after TBI. We assessed whether acupuncture induced NSC proliferation and differentiation after TBI

Methods

Results

Conclusion