Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The state of ischemic penumbra after cerebral infraction determines the final infarct volume. Decreased selective gene expression and protein synthesis, lactic acidosis and cytotoxic edema, salvage therapy of nerve cells, and continous regulation of neurovascular unit in the ischemic penumbra are areas of interest for recovery of neurological function.
OBJECTIVE: Taking the neoangiogenesis process of post-infarction as the research point, to investigate the basic law of neovascularization with time and the effect of electroacupuncture intervention on proliferation of local blood vessels.
METHODS: Ninety-six Wistar rats were randomly and evenly divided into model and electroacupuncture groups. 
The rat models of middle cerebral artery infarction were established by suture method. Immediately after modeling, the rats in the electroacupuncture group were given electrical stimulation (15 Hz, 1mA, 20 minutes) at the Renzhong (Du26) acupoint. The rats in the model group received similar procedures with the exception of no treatment. The angiogenesis was observed using double-immunofluorescence labeling for von Willebrand Factor (vWF) and Ki-67 antibodies at 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 hours and 3, 7, 12 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In the model group, vascular endothelial cell proliferation in the peri-infarct region was not observed at 3, 6 and 12 hours, occurred at 24 hours, increased at 48 hours, reached a maximum at 3 days, began to decrease at 7 days, and disappeared at 12 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion. In the electroacupuncture group, vascular endothelial cell proliferation in the peri-infarct region was not observed at 3 and 6 hours, occurred at 12 hours, increased at 24 and 48 hours, peaked at 3 days, began to decerase at 7 days, and disappeared at 12 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion. Compared with the model group, the time at which vascular endothelial cell proliferation started was earlier, and the number of proliferated vascular endothelial cells was greater in the electroacupuncture group. Vascular endothelial cell proliferation in the infarcted regions and contralateral hemisphere was not observed in either group at all designated time points. These results demonstrate that electroacupuncture intervention can improve the prognosis of cerebral infarction by promoting the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells in the peri-infarct region and advancing the time at which vascular endothelial cell proliferation started in rat models of middle cerebral artery occlusion. 

中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：肾移植；肝移植；移植；心脏移植；组织移植；皮肤移植；皮瓣移植；血管移植；器官移植；组织工程

Key words: Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery, Ki-67 Antigen, Electroacupuncture