Abstract
Background
Electroacupuncture (EA) pre-treatment can play a significant neuroprotective role in rats with cerebral ischaemia and reperfusion (CIR) injury, but the specific mechanism needs to be further elucidated.
Objective
To investigate the effects of EA pre-treatment on apoptosis-related proteins Bax, Bcl-2, Cytochrome c (cyt c), cleaved caspase-9 and -3 in rats with CIR injury.
Methods
CIR injury was induced using middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) ischaemia-reperfusion. Thirty-six male Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: Sham (n=12), MCAO (n=12), and the EA+MCAO group (n=12). EA+MCAO group rats received electroacupuncture at DU20 for 2 consecutive weeks before MCAO model preparation. After 24 h of reperfusion, neurological deficits were evaluated by modified neurological severity scores. Brain infarct volumes were examined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Expression of Bax, Bcl-2, cyt c, cleaved caspase-9 and -3 in the ischaemic penumbra were detected by Western blotting, and apoptosis evaluated by TUNEL staining.
Results
After perfusion for 24 h, compared with the MCAO group, the neurological deficit scores and brain infarct volumes in the EA+MCAO group were significantly decreased (P<0.05), as was the level of Bax (P<0.05) or the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (P<0.05), levels of cyt c, cleaved caspase-9 and -3 also decreased (P<0.05), like the number of
Conclusion
EA pre-treatment exerts an anti-apoptotic effect through Bax-to-Bcl-2 ratio downregulation, blockage of mitochondrial cyt c release to the cytosol, and reduction of caspase-9 and -3 expression in rats with CIR injury.
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