Effect of electric acupuncture on expression of central nerve growth proliferation differentiation mediated factor Rac-1 in the cerebral cortex, medulla oblongata, cervical spinal cord of stroke-prone-renovascular-hypertensive rats

Abstract

Objective To observe the effect of electric acupuncture on expression of central nerve growth proliferation differentiation mediated factor Rac-1 in cerebral cortex,medulla oblongata,cervical spinal cord of stroke-prone-renovascular-hypertensive rats (RHRSP) at different times of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and cerebral ischemia reperfusion,and investigate the mechanisms of electric acupuncture in remote damage of acute cerebral infarction (ACI).Methods Forty hundred and eighty male SPF SD rats were duplicated to RHRSP models and created MCAO models by stringing middle cerebral artery; and then,these rat models were divided into hypertension group,sham-operated group,cerebral infarction group,electric acupuncture group and sham electric acupuncture group by random number table method (n=60).Rats in the hypertension group were only performed RHRSP; rats in the sham-operated group only received surgical trauma; rats in the cerebral infarction group received reperfusion after MCAO; Baihui and Dazhui acupoints were electroacupuncted in rats of electric acupuncture group once daily for a consecutive 28 d; sham electric acupuncture group received electric acupuncture with the needles stick to the skin of Baihui and Dazhui acupoints.One,7,14,28 d after treatment,6 rats in each groups were put to death,respectively,and isolated the right side of the cortex and medulla oblongata and the left side of the spinal cord.The Rac-1 expression was detected by Western blotting.Results Cortex area:7,14,28 d after MCAO,lower Rac-1 expression in the cerebral infarction group,electric acupuncture group and sham electric acupuncture group was noted as compared with that in the hypertension group and sham-operated group (P＜0.05); electric acupuncture group had significantly higher Rac-1 expression than the cerebral infarction group and sham electric acupuncture group (P＜0.05).Medulla oblongata area:14,28 d after MCAO,lower Rac-1 expression in the cerebral infarction group,electric acupuncture group and sham electric acupuncture group was noted as compared with that in the hypertension group and sham-operated group (P＜0.05); electric acupuncture group had significantly higher Rac-1 expression than the cerebral infarction group and sham electric acupuncture group (P＜0.05).Spinal cord area:28 d after MCAO,lower Rac-1 expression in the cerebral infarction group,electric acupuncture group and sham electric acupuncture group was noted as compared with that in the hypertension group and sham-operated group (P＜0.05); electric acupuncture group had significantly higher Rac-1 expression than the cerebral infarction group and sham electric acupuncture group (P＜0.05).Conclusions The decreased Rac-1 expression in the cerebral cortex,medulla oblongata and spinal cord of cerebral inffacted RHRSP may be an important factor which involves ACI remote damage.Electric acupuncture' s protection to central nervous of cerebral ischemic RHRSP may closely relate to the mechanism of its up-regnlation effect of Rac-1 expression. Key words: Medulla oblongata; Spinal cord; Cerebral ischemia reperfusion; Rac-1 protein; Hypertensive rat; Electric acupuncture