Electroacupuncture regulates activation of astrocytes and microglia after spinal cord injury

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.1812

Abstract

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Current clinical trials have confirmed that electroacupuncture has a therapeutic effect on motor dysfunction, sensory dysfunction and urinary retention due to spinal cord injury, but the mechanism of electroacupuncture in treating spinal cord injury is still unclear.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture on the activation of astrocytes and microglia after spinal cord injury and to explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture in the treatment of spinal cord injury.
METHODS: Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley rats (Provided by Shanghai Slack Laboratory Animal Company, China) were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group and electroacupuncture group, with 12 rats in each group. The sham operation group was only treated with laminectomy, and the other two groups were prepared for the spinal cord injury model (T₉-T₁₁). Electroacupuncture group received electroacupuncture at Ganyu and Shenyu on both sides for 30 minutes every day for 7 continuous days. Abdominal aortic blood and spinal cord tissue at injured sites were taken from the rats in each group after 7 days of intervention. ELISA was used to detect the mass concentration of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and interleukin-18 in the venous blood of rats. Nissl’s staining was used to observe the neurons morphology. The expression of ED-1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein was detected by immunofluorescence, and the protein expression of ED-1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein was detected by western blot. The study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Qingdao Municipal Hospital (approval No. QDSLYY2018-18).
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Compared with the sham operation group, the mass concentration of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and interleukin-18 in the model group and electroacupuncture group increased significantly (P < 0.05), and the mass concentration of above inflammatory factors in the electroacupuncture group decreased significantly as compared with the model group (P < 0.05). (2) Neurons in the sham operation group were normal in morphology. Neurons in the model group were damaged, and some neurons dissolved and liquefied with more holes. Nissl body was broken and reduced in number and size. Neurons in the electroacupuncture group were better than that in the model group. (3) Compared with the sham operation group, the positive expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein and ED-1 in the model and electroacupuncture groups increased significantly (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the positive expression of above two proteins in the electroacupuncture group decreased significantly (P < 0.05). (4) Western blot results showed that the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein and ED-1 protein in the model and electroacupuncture groups was higher than that in the sham operation group, while the expression of these two proteins in the electroacupuncture group was lower than that in the model group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, electroacupuncture could inhibit the activation of astrocytes and microglia after spinal cord injury, thereby inhibiting inflammatory response and facilitating the repair of injured neurons.

Key words: spinal cord injury, electroacupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, reactive astrocyte proliferation, astrocyte, microglia, inflammation, nerve repair

CLC Number:

Pan Weibin, Lin Xiaomin, Fan Xiao. Electroacupuncture regulates activation of astrocytes and microglia after spinal cord injury[J]. Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research, 2019, 23(29): 4675-4680.

Figures/Tables 4

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