Restraining effects of acupuncture on photoreceptor cell apoptosis in rats with retinitis pigmentosa induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea / 中国中西医结合杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of acupuncture on photoreceptor cell apoptosis in rats with retinitis pigmentosa induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-day-old female SD rats were established into model of retinitis pigmentosa by once intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg MNU, and randomly grouped to the acupuncture group and the model group for observing the cell apoptosis in rats and compared with that in normal rats at the corresponding time points.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Acupuncture showed no effect on cell apoptosis at its peak of occurring, apoptotic phenomena still could be seen on days 5 and 7, but it was significantly less in the acupuncture group than in the model group (P < 0.01). Moreover, acupuncture showed a restraining effect on the up-regulation of caspase-3 activity.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture can restrain the MNU induced apoptosis of photoreceptor cells, the effect is correlated, to a certain degree, with the status of the apoptosis occurrence.</p>