ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore whether the electroacupunture stimulation (ES) at acupoint Zusanli (ST36) can inhibit the bone loss caused by Staphylococcus aureus (SA) infection and its mechanism in a model of SA osteomyelitis.Methods:Twelve male C57 BL/6 mice aged 10 to 12 weeks were randomly divided into 2 even groups ( n=6) for SA infection + ES or SA infection only. After ES at ST36 was conducted for 4 weeks in the model of SA osteomyelitis, samples were harvested from the femora and tibiae. Micro-CT reconstruction was performed to detect trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV), trabecular number (Tb.N), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), connectivity density (Conn.Dn) to analyze changes in bone mass. Leptin receptor (LEPR) staining was performed to detect osteoblasts. Tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining was used to detect the changes in osteoclasts. The changes in plasma inflammatory factors were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results:Micro-CT results showed that the BV/TV, Tb.N, Tb.Th, and Conn.Dn in the cancellous bone in the target areas in the SA + ES group were all higher than those in the SA group, LEPR immunofluorescence results indicated that the number of osteogenic precursor cells in the ES group was larger than that in the SA group, and serum ELISA indicated a decrease in inflammatory factors in the blood in the SA+ES group compared with the SA group. There were significant differences in the comparisons above ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the number of osteoclasts on the surface of trabecular bone between the 2 groups in TRAP staining. Conclusion:ES may slow down infectious bone destruction by inhibiting the inflammatory response induced by SA infection and by inducing aggregation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into trabecular bone.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine has proposed the theory of “treatment for flaccidity aims at Yangming meridian” in the Internal Canon of Medicine. However, there have been relatively few reports on electroacupuncture at the stomach channel of Foot Yangming in the treatment of spinal cord injury. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture stimulation of Zusanli and Futu on Caspase-3 expression in injured segments of spinal cord injury rats. METHODS: Sixty-four Sprague-Dawley female rats, SPF grade, were randomly divided into four groups, i.e., control group, pre-labeling group, post-injury labeling group and electroacupuncture group, with 16 rats in each group. The control group and the pre-labeling group were intraperitoneally given Brdu (50 mg/kg) for 10 days before the operation. The control group was given a bite to remove the lamina on the 11th day, which did not damage the spinal cord. A model of spinal cord injury was made in the pre-labeling group on the 11th day. The post-injury labeling group and the electroacupuncture group were injected intraperitoneally with Brdu for 10 days after the spinal cord injury was made, and the post-injury labeling group was not treated. The electroacupuncture group started electroacupuncture at Zusanli and Futu acupoints on the 3rd day after the model was established. Spinal cord specimens were taken at 3, 10, 17, and 24 days after injury in each group, and the changes in the number of neurons were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The expression of Brdu positive cells was observed by immunohistochemistry. The changes in Caspase-3 mRNA and protein expression were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. The study protocol was approved by the Animal Ethic Committee of Guangxi Medical University, with an approval No. 201712001. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The expression of Caspase-3 mRNA and protein after spinal cord injury was higher than that of the control group without spinal cord injury, and the number of neurons after spinal cord injury was significantly lower than that of the control group. With the passage of time, the mRNA and protein expression of Caspase-3 gene in the pre-labeling, post-injury labeling and electroacupuncture groups increased first and then decreased, while the Caspase-3 expression in the electroacupuncture group decreased significantly, which was significantly different from that in the pre-labeling and post-injury labeling groups (P < 0.05). Hematoxylin-eosin staining results showed that the number of neurons in the electroacupuncture group was significantly higher than that in pre-labeling and post-injury labeling groups, and gradually approached the number of neurons in the control group on the 24th day. Immunohistochemical results showed that the positive protein expression in the electroacupuncture group increased first and then decreased, reaching the highest on the 17th day and the lowest on the 24th day. The overall positive protein expression was significantly higher than that in the other groups (P < 0.05). To conclude, electroacupuncture stimulation of Zusanli and Futu acupoints can reduce the expression of Caspase-3 mRNA and protein, reduce the apoptosis of nerve cells, and promote the number of neurons, thus promoting the regeneration and repair of nerve cells.
ABSTRACT
The effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation on tissue circulation in the human ocular fundus (choroidal blood flow) was studied in 11 adult healthy volunteers (6 males and 5 females, age 31.5±5.7y) who had no physical or ocular disease. Using the laser speckle method, normalized blur (NB) values, a quantitative index for tissue blood flow, were measured over an area of choroid between the macula and the optic nerve papilla with no discrete visible vessel. The EA stimulation was applied between BL 10 and GB 20 and between GB 21 and SI 13 on the right side for 15 minutes at 1Hz with an intensity which cause slight muscle contraction. The NB value and intraocular pressure (IOP) in both side eyes, blood pressure (BP) and pulse rate (PR) were measured at baseline time, immediately after EA, and every 5 minutes after EA up to 15 minutes. These procedures were repeated on the same subjects as a control trial on another day. The NB value of choroid on the stimulated side significantly increased following EA stimulation compared with the control value, while that in the unstimulated side showed no significant change. No significant change was observed in BP, IOP or ocular perfusion pressure throughout the experimental period.