Effects of electro-acupuncture on the MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway after experimental spinal cord injury / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To observe the effect of applying electro-acupuncture to the governor vessel on the expression of proteins in the MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway.@*Methods@#Sixty-four female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a sham group, a spinal cord injured (SCI) group, an acupuncture (AP) group and an electro-acupuncture (EA) group. An SCI model was induced in all of the rats except those in the sham group. The sham and SCI groups were not given any special treatment, while the AP and EA groups were treated with conventional or electro-acupuncture applied to the Dazhui (DU14) and Mingmen (DU4) acupoints in the governor vessel beginning on the day following the operation. The electrical stimulation was in dense-disperse waves at 2/100Hz frequency and 0.2mA intensity, lasted for 15 minutes daily, 5 days a week for 4 weeks . The expression of myelin basic protein (MBP), the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt) in the injured volume were determined using immunofluorescence and western blotting on the 3rd, 7th, 14th and 28th days after the modeling.@*Results@#Compared with the SCI group, p-ERK1/2 expression was greatly enhanced in the EA group on the 3rd, 14th and 28th days. It was also significantly enhanced in the AP group by the 28th day. Compared with the AP group, the average p-ERK1/2 expression in the EA group was significantly enhanced on the 3rd and 14th days. Compared with the SCI group, the average p-Akt of the EA group was significantly enhanced on the 14th and 28th days. The average p-Akt of the AP group had decreased significantly on the 3rd day. Compared with the SCI group, the average expression of MBP in the EA group was enhanced significantly on the 3rd, 7th and 14th days and the AP group′s average was significantly greater on the 3rd and 7th days.@*Conclusion@#Electro-acupuncture can promote the expression of MBP, the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and the phosphorylation of Akt after spinal cord injury.