Influence of scalp point through point acupuncture with Baihui to Qubin on the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the cerebral cortex and striate body of rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the brain can promote inflammative reaction and thrombosis through inducing the expression of endothelioal adhesion molecule during cerebral ischemic reperfusion.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the good regulation of scalp point through point acupucture with Baihui (GV-20) to Qubin (GB-7) to ischemic cerebral injury, and to inhibition of TNF-α over-expression within the brain as well.DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial.SETTING: Emergency Neurological Department of the Hospital Affiliated to Medical College of Qingdao University.MATERIALS The experiment was completed from August 2002 to August 2003 at the Institute of Cerebrovascular Disease in Medical College of Qingdao University. A total of 15 healthy female SD rats of clean grade, weighing 230-270 g, provided by Shanghai Experimental Animal Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences, were at random divided as sham operation group,acupuncture group and control group, with 5 rats in each group.for rats in acupuncture group and control groups, the procedur for rats in sham operation group was similar to those in control group, but without obstruction of the middle cerebra artery. After ten minutes ischemia, the rats in acupuncture group were given acupuncture treatment. The hairs in parts correspondent to Baihui (GV-20) and Fengfu (GV-16) points in human were cut down and conventionally sterilized, then a filiform needle in 0.35 mmx40 mm was used to point to point acupucture correspondent to Baihui and Qubin in human to the depth of 0.8 cm. Another needle was used to perpendicularly insert at Fengfu (GV-16) point to the depth of 0.5 cm. A pulse electric machine was applied for 30 minutes, with the positive electrode connecting to Baihui (GV-20) and negative electrode to the Fengfu GV-16), the frequensection and in situ hybridization assay of TNF-α All rats of every group,after treatment of 2 hours ischemia and 12 hours reperfusion, were deeply anesthetized, quickly given 200 mL normal saline through the catheterized ascending aorta, and continually given 300 mL paraformaldehyde of 40 g/L concentration; then they were decapitated for collecting the brain, the brain was fixed for 1 hour with the same solidification solution. The coronal sec-tion about 7 μm was prepared starting from the part of optic chiasm towards the back. The cytoplasm of TNF-α positive cell was stained brownish yellow, and that of TNF-α negative control cell was not stained. VIDAS-21 image analysing system was used to analyse the image, the result was extissue After conventional staining with hematoxylin-eosin, the pathological changes of focal areas in both acupuncture group and control group were observed under light microscope.ischemic cerebral tissues in acupuncture group and control group.TNF-α in the cortex and striate body of brain in rats with ischemic reperfusion Compared with sham operation group, the expressions in acupuncture group and control group were significantly increased (0.302±0.04,0.320±0.02; 0.466±0.08, 0.423±0.02; 0.367±0.03, 0.362±0.02; P ＜ 0.05);compared with acupuncture group, the expression in control group was sigbral tissues In control group the extent of degeneration and necrosis was more serious, the neuron was degenerative necrosis, the neuroglia cell was in vacuolar degeneration, there was obvious phenomenon of leukocytic aggregation and margination within the vessel, and also leukocytic infiltration around the vessels. In acupuncture group there were only a small nub of neurons being in degenerative degeneration and neuroglia cells in vacuolar degeneration, and less leukocytic aggregation within the vessel.CONCLUSION: The level of TNF-α in the cortex and striate body of brain was increased after ischemic reperfusion. Scalp point through point acupuncture with Baihui (GV-20) to Qubin (GB-7) could markedly inhibit its expression, so that the therapy could effectively check over-expression of inflammatory mediators and their biological effects, hence reducing the inflammatory injury after cerebral ischemia.