Expression of the stromal cell derived factor-1α and chemokine CXC motif receptor 4 axis is promoted by electroacupuncture / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the stromal cell derived factor 1 α (SDF-1 α) and chemokine CXC motif receptor 4 (CXCR4) axis using acupoint electroacupuncture (EA) on the brains of rats after focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion.Methods Ninety-eight Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a control group (8 rats),a model group (50 rats),and an EA group (40 rats).The animal model of focal brain ischemia-reperfusion was made with all the rats in the model group and EA group by using the filament occlusion technique.The model and EA groups were subdivided into 5 subgroups according to the sampling time points on the 1 st,3rd,7th,14th or 21st day after ischemia-reperfusion.The EA was administered bilaterally to the rat analog of the Hegu point (LI 4) in the EA group.The model and control groups received no special treatment.Immunohistochemical methods were employed to detect CXCR4-positive cells in the model and EA groups.The expressions of SDF-1α and CXCR4 mRNA were detected with RT-PCR methods in the 3rd,7th and 14th day subgroups.Results With the prolongation of reperfusion,SDF-1α mRNA expression in the model group had a single peak-like increase in the ischemic area of the cerebral cortex.It had increased significantly by the 3rd day,reached its peak value at the 7th day and then decreased gradually.SDF-1α mRNA expression in the EA group behaved similarly,but SDF-1 mRNA expression was significantly higher in the EA group than in the other two.In the model and EA groups CXCR4 mRNA relative values were higher at the 7th and 14th day than at day 3,and the expression at day 14 was significantly greater than at day 7.CXCR4 mRNA values in the EA group were significantly higher than in the model group at each time point.The expression of CXCR4-positive cells began to increase on the 1 st day in the model group,reached its peak value at the 7th day,then decreased by day 14,but it was still strongly expressed highly at the 21st day.Compared with the model group,the expression in the EA group showed the same pattern,but the number of CXCR4-positive cells in EA group was significantly higher.Conclusion Point EA can activate the SDF-1α and CXCR4 axis to promote angiogenesis after focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion,at least in rats.