[Effects of fast-twisting long-retaining acupuncture therapy on apoptosis and expression of related proteins in vestibular nucleus in rats with vertigo induced by posterior circulation ischemia].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of fast-twisting long-retaining (FTLR) acupuncture therapy on apoptosis of vestibular nucleus and expression of Caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax in rats with vertigo induced by posterior circulation ischemia.

METHODS: A total of 70 healthy SD rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group, a medication group, a regular acupuncture group and a FTLR acupuncture group, 14 rats in each group. The rats in the model group, medication group, regular acupuncture group and FTLR acupuncture group were intervented with surgical ligation of the right common carotid artery (CCA) and the right subclavian artery (SCA) to establish the model of vertigo induced by posterior circulation ischemia; in the sham operation group, the right CCA and the right SCA were separated without ligation. The rats in the medication group were treated with gavage of flunarizine hydrochloride suspension (10 mL/kg). "Baihui" (GV 20), "Shuaigu" (GB 8) and "Fengchi" (GB 20) were selected in the two acupuncture groups. The rats in the regular acupuncture group were treated with routine acupuncture and the needles were retained for 30 min, while the rats in the FTLR acupuncture group were treated with quick twist (200-300 times/min) for 1 min and the needles were retained for 60 min. The rats in the sham operation group and the model group received no intervention. All the intervention was provided once a day for 10 days. The decline rate of local blood flow in vestibular nucleus was observed; the apoptosis of vestibular nucleus was observed by TUNEL method; the expression of Caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS: Compared with the sham operation group, the decline rate of local blood flow in the right vestibular nucleus was significantly increased in the model group (P<0.01), and the apoptosis index (AI) of vestibular nucleus was significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the decline rates of local blood flow in the right vestibular nucleus in the two acupuncture groups and medication group were significantly reduced (P<0.01), and the AIs of vestibular nucleus cells were significantly reduced (P<0.01). The decline rate of local blood flow in the right vestibular nucleus in the FTLR acupuncture group was lower than those in the medication group and the regular acupuncture group (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the AI of vestibular nucleus was lower than those in the regular acupuncture group and the medication group (P<0.05). Compared with the sham operation group, the expression of Bcl-2 in the vestibular nucleus was significantly decreased in the model group (P<0.01), and the expressions of Bax and Caspase-3 were significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the expressions of Bcl-2 in the vestibular nucleus were significantly increased in the two acupuncture groups and medication group (P<0.01), and the expressions of Bax and Caspase-3 were significantly reduced (P<0.01). The expression of Bcl-2 in the vestibular nucleus in the FTLR acupuncture group was higher than those in the regular acupuncture group and the medication group (P<0.05), and the expressions of Bax and Caspase-3 were lower than those in the regular acupuncture group and the medication group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: The FTLR acupuncture therapy could effectively inhibit the apoptosis of vestibular nucleus in rats with vertigo induced by posterior circulation ischemia, and its mechanism may be related to improving the blood supply of vestibular nucleus and regulating the expressions of Caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax proteins.