ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effect of implanted cortical electrical stimulation (CES) on the expression of Nissl bodies and growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) in the brain after ischemic injury,and its mechanism.Methods Models of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) were established in 23 male Sprague-Dawley rats.They were randomly divided into a CES group (CES,n=13) and a no stimulation group (NS,n=10) and electrical stimulators were implanted in both groups.CES was applied for 14 d in the CES group but not in the NS group.The expression of Nissl bodies and GAP-43 around the infarct were quantified using version 6.0 of the ImagePro Plus system.Results In the CES group the Nissl bodies had a deep color,and their percentage of area was higher than that in the NS group.The GAP-43 positive expression area also had a relatively deep color,and the average percentage of positive expression area was also higher than that in the NS group.Conclusions CES can enhance the expression of Nissl bodies and GAP-43 after cerebral infarction.This suggests that CES can promote axon growth and the formation of new neural circuits.
