In Vitro Study on Fire Needling and the Expression of Wnt/β-catenin Pathway Genes in Neural Stem Cells in Rats with Spinal Cord Injury / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the regulating effect of fire needling on Wnt andβ-catenin genes of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in neural stem cells in spinal cord injury.Methods Sixty female SD rats were randomly allocated, including 5 rats to a blank group, 5 rats to a sham operation group, 25 rats to a model group and 25 rats to a fire needling group. The model and fire needling groups of rats were again separately divided into 1 d, 3 d, 7 d, 10 d and 14 d groups. A model was made using modified Allen's method in the model and fire needling groups. The BBB score was recorded and the expressions of Wnt andβ-catenin genes were determined in every group.Results In the model and fire needling groups, the BBB scores were significantly higher at 7 and 10 days than at the previous time point and there was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The BBB score at every time point after treatment was significantly higher in the fire needling group than in the model group and there was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Wnt3a gene expressions increased in the model and fire needling groups at 7 and 10 days compare with the previous time point (P<0.05). At 7 and 10 days, Wnt3a gene expression was higher in the fire needling group than in the model group and there was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The changing tendency ofβ-catenin gene expression levels was basically the same as that of Wnt3a's.Conclusion Fire needling can modulate the expressions of Wnt3a andβ-catenin genes in neural stem cells in spinal cord injury.