Effect of eye acupuncture on the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in hippocampus in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury

Abstract

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of eye acupuncture on expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus of rats after ischemia-reperfusion injury in order to study the mechanisms of eye acupuncture in improving ischemia-reperfusion injury. MethodsSD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a sham-operation group, a model group and an eye acupuncture group, with 8 rats in each. The cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury model was established by thread occlusion method. Acupuncture at “liver”, “upper-jiao”, “lower-jiao”, and “kidney” was performed for 20 min in the eye acupuncture group immediateness, 12 h and 23.5 h after the reperfusion. After 24 h of the reperfusion, the neurophysical behaviors were evaluated by Zea Longa neurophysical impairment score; the expression of ischemic hippocampus BDNF mRNA was measured by RT-PCR; the expression of ischemic hippocampus BDNF protein was detected by Western blot technique. ResultsAfter reperfusion 24 h, compared with the model group, the neurologic impairment score of the eye acupuncture group decreased significantly (P<0.01); the expressions of BDNF mRNA and protein in rat hippocampi after the eye acupuncture therapy were both obviously increased (P<0.01). ConclusionThe eye acupuncture therapy is beneficial for neurofunctional rehabilitation by promoting the repair of the nerve cell which is induced by increasing hippocampus BDNF expression.