RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the mechanism of acupuncture in treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Adult Wistar rats were used to make SCI model by Allen's method. The SCI rats were treated with electroacupuncture (EA) at acupoints of the Governor Vessel for 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks or 4 weeks. Normal group and spinal cord injury group were used as controls. The number and morphology of astrocytes in each group were investigated by electron microscope, immunohistochemistry and in situs hybridization methods. The expression of glial fibroblast acid protein (GFAP) mRNA in the injured spinal cord was detected by reverse transcription polymerase (RP-PCR).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mitochondria and ribosomes of astrocytes in the EA group increased. The number of astrocytes increased after SCI, in gray matter being more than that in the white matter, in the caudal being more than that in the rostral. The expression of GFAP mRNA in the EA group was significantly lower than that in the control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Electroacupuncture can inhibit the reactive proliferation of the astrocytes after spinal cord injury and prevent formation of the glial scar.</p>