ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the intervention effect of electro-acupuncture(EA) on mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR) expression in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE) newborn rats. Methods Seven-day-old SD rats were randomly assigned into 3 groups, namely sham-surgery group, HIE model group, and EA group. All of the groups were subdivided into 4 subgroups in terms of 4 time periods of 1, 3, 7 and 21 day(s). Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used for the observation of histological changes in the affected cerebral region. Expression levels of cerebral mTOR were detected with Western blotting method. Results The results of HE staining showed that EA group at experimental day 21 had clear organizational structure, ordered arrangement of neurons, relieved cellular swelling, well cell integrity with clear nucleolus and proliferative glial cells. Compared with the sham-surgery group, mTOR level of the model group was dramatically increased on the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 21st day(P<0.05), and the mTOR expression level of EA group was significantly higher than that in the model group at the above time points (P < 0.05). Conclusion EA can promote mTOR expression in brain tissue and can protect the brain of newborn rats from HIE.