Synergistic Effect of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine on Cerebral Infarction in Rats: Roles of...

To investigate the synergistic effect of Acupuncture combined with Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) in treating cerebral infarction (CI) rats, focusing on its impact on gut short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and serum interleukin-17 (IL-17) expression.

36 male SD rats were divided into 6 groups (n=6): Sham, Model, Acupuncture, CHM, Combined Therapy, and Western Medicine (positive control). The CI model was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The Combined group received both acupuncture (at bilateral "Hegu" (LI4), "Taichong" (LR3), "Zusanli" (ST36), and "Fenglong" (ST40)) and CHM (oral Banxia Baizhu Tianma Decoction combined with Taoren Honghua Decoction). Treatment lasted 14 days. Neurological deficit scores (Longa and horizontal wooden stick tests) were assessed. SCFA content in colonic contents was analyzed by gas chromatography, and serum IL-17 levels by ELISA. Subsequently, the correlation between SCFAs and IL-17 levels was analyzed.

The combined therapy group showed significantly better improvements in neurological function compared to all single-therapy groups (P < 0.05). Compared to the model group, the total content of SCFAs (including acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid) was significantly lower in the model group, while IL-17 levels were significantly elevated. All treatment groups showed increased SCFA content and decreased IL-17 levels, with the combined group demonstrating superior effects compared to single therapies (P < 0.05). A significant negative correlation was found between total SCFAs, acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid, and serum IL-17 (R² = 0.601-0.711, P < 0.05).

The combination of acupuncture and CHM significantly improved neurological deficits in CI rats. This synergistic effect is likely associated with the regulation of gut microbiota-derived SCFAs and the suppression of IL-17-mediated neuroinflammation.