Regulation of acupuncture on NMDAR1 mRNA expression in visual cortex of monocularly-deprived rats / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

ABSTRACT

Objective: To explore the molecular biological mechanism of acupuncture in intervening visual deprivation. Methods: Forty-eight 2-week old Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, and 6 acupuncture groups (group C1 acupuncture at the unaffected side in early stage; group C2 acupuncture at the affected side in early stage; group D1 acupuncture at the unaffected side in mid-stage; group D2 acupuncture at the affected side in mid-stage; group E1 acupuncture at the unaffected side in late stage; group E2 acupuncture at the affected side in late stage) by the random number table, 6 rats in each group. Rats in the normal group didn’t receive any interventions. The rat model of deprivation amblyopia was established by unilateral eyelid suture in the model group and each acupuncture group. After successful modeling, rats in model group didn’t receive any treatments; rats in the acupuncture groups received acupuncture intervention which began respectively on the 3rd, 12th and 21st day after modeling. Pattern visual evoked potential (P-VEP) and N-methy D-aspartatreceptor-1 (NMDAR1) mRNA expression in visual cortex area 17 were detected at the end of acupuncture intervention in each group. Results: After the intervention, the P-VEP waveform was significantly changed, with a significantly delayed P100 value (P0.05). Conclusion: P-VEP waveform is abnormal and NMDAR1 mRNA expression in visual cortex area 17 is decreased in rats with monocularly-deprived amblyopia. Acupuncture in the sensitive period can significantly regulate the abnormal P-VEP waveform and the down-regulate the NMDAR1 mRNA expression of the visual cortex of rats with monocularly-deprived amblyopia. Early treatment in the sensitive period should be the key to obtaining the curative effect.