Effects of Electroacupuncture on Activation of Microglia in Peri-infarct Cortex of Cerebral Ischemia-reperfusion Injury Rats

Objective To explore the effect of electroacupuncture on activation of microglia in peri- infarct cortex after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats. Methods 36 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group(n=12), model group(n=12) and electroacupuncture group(n=12). The latter two groups were occluded the left middle cerebral arteries with modified Longa's method for 2hours and reperfused. The electroacupuncture group received electroacupuncture at Quchi(LI11) and Zusanli(ST36) acupoints for 3 days.The nerve cell damage in peri-infarct cortex was observed with HE staining, while the expression of ED1 was determined with immunohistochemical staining, and the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-1β(IL-1β) and IL-6 were determined with Western blotting. Results The neurological deficits score improved significantly in the electroacupuncture group(P0.05), with less nerve cell damage, less number of ED1 positive microglia(P0.05) and less levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6(P0.05), compared with the model group.Conclusion The electroacupuncture at Quchi(LI11) and Zusanli(ST36) acupoints can protect brain from ischemia-reperfusion injury, which might be associated with inhibiting the microglial activation and proinflammatory response in peri-infarct cortex.