[Effect of electroacupuncture on free radical content and HSP70 expression in the brain tissue in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury].

OBJECTIVE

To study the mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) in treating ischemic cerebrovascular disease.

METHODS

Reversible cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CI/R) model of rats was established by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and reperfusion. Sixty-three Wistar rats were randomized into sham-operation, CI-2 h/R-1 h, CI-2 h/R-1 h+ EA, CI-2 h/R-3 h, CL-2 h/R-3 h+EA, CI-2 h/R-6 h, CI-2 h/R-6 h+ EA groups with 9 cases being in each group. EA (4/60 Hz in frequency, 2 mA) was applied to "Shuigou" (GV 26), "Zhongchong" (PC 9) and "Fengfu"(GV 16) for 15 min. After decapitation, the rats' brain tissue was collected for detecting superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content by using nitroblue tetrazolium hydroxylamine method and thiobarbituric barbiturate reaction method separately. HSP70 expression was measured by immunohistochemical technique.

RESULTS

Compared with sham-operation group, SOD activity in CI-2 h/R-1 h, CI-2 h/R-3 h and CI-2 h/R-6 h groups decreased obviously (P < 0.01), and MDA contents in these 3 CI/R groups increased obviously (P < 0.01), while compared with their corresponding CI/R groups, SOD activity increased considerably and MDA contents lowered apparently in the CL-2 h/R-1 h+ EA, CI-2 h/R-3 h+ EA and CI-2 h/R-6 h+ EA groups (P < 0.05, 0.01). HSP70 expression presented a marked increase tendency in the 3 CI/R groups and after EA the expression increased further.

CONCLUSION

EA can raise SOD activity, lower MDA content in the brain tissue and enhance HSP70 expression in CI/R rats.