Effects of brain ischemic pretreatment on ultrastructure and apoptosis in ischemic rat brain

Objective: To explore whether preacupuncture can induce the cerebral tolerance to ischemia and has a protective effect on the brain and an influence upon neuronal apoptosis. Methods: We divided 144 rats into five groups at random:normal control group(24),sham-operation group(24),ischemia pretreatment control group(32),ischemia group(32)and ischemia pretreatment group(32)and we set the time at 12h,24h,48h and 72h after operation.Acupuncture was used before brain ischemia in four-vessel occlusion (4-V0) model rats. The HE method was used to observe histomorphologucal changes. The TUNEL method and electron microscope were used to observe neuron apoptosis of the cerebral cortex and hippocampal CA 1 section. Results:There were no histomorpological changes and no neuronal apoptosis in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal CA 1 section of the sham-operation group,normal control group and ischemic pretreatment control group.The neuron damage was evidence in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal CA 1 section of the ischemia group,and 12,24,48 and 72h after operation the damage became serious.Compared with ischemia group,the ischemia pretreatment control group showed less neural damage and dropsy,rapid recovery of neuron form and fewer apoptostic cells in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal CA 1 section.Conclusion:The pretreatment of cerebral ischemia has a protective effect on the neurons of the cerebral cortex and hippocampal CA 1 section and can inhibit their neurons from apoptosis.