[Effects of electroacupuncture on cerebral Bcl-2 and caspase-3 expression after cerebral ischemia reperfusion in...

To investigate the underlying mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) in anti-apoptosis effects in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CI/RI) rats.

Forty-eight SD rats were randomized into sham-operation (sham), model and acupuncture groups with 16 cases in each. CI/RI model was established by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery for 2 h and reperfusion for 24 h. Neuronal apoptosis and expression levels of the cerebral bcl-2 and caspase-3 after administration of EA (MS 6, MS 7) were detected by immunohistochemistry. Whole blood viscosity, erythrocyte deformability and erythrocyte agreeability in rats after local CI/RI were assayed by using Automatic Blood Rheometer.

In comparison with control group, bcl-2 and caspase-3 immunoactivity of the ischemic cerebral tissue, high, medium and low shear rates, aggregation index and rigidity index of the erythrocytes in model group increased significantly (P<0.05), while the erythrocyte deformity index reduced strikingly (P<0.05). Compared with model group, bcl-2 immunoactivity and erythrocyte deformity of acupuncture group increased remarkably (P<0.05), and caspase-3 immunoactivity, high, medium and low shear rates of the whole blood viscosity, and erythrocyte aggregation index and rigidity index decreased considerably after acupuncture (P<0.05), suggesting an improvement of the erythrocyte deformability and agreeability after acupuncture.

Acupuncture can resist neuronal apoptosis during CI/RI, which may be closely associated with its effects in upregulating bcl-2 expression, downregulating caspase-3 expression. Moreover, acupuncture can significantly improve the erythrocyte deformability and reduce blood viscosity and erythrocyte agreeability.