Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the effect of acupuncture stimulation at KI3 on brain glucose metabolism in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Methods: Brain glucose metabolism in SHRs after acupuncture stimulation at KI3 was detected using 18F-2-fluorodeoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET). SHRs were randomly divided into three groups: no treatment (SHR group); acupuncture at KI3 (KI3 group); and sham acupuncture (Sham group). Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were used as a normal blood pressure (BP) control group. Rats were subjected to 10 min of acupuncture once a day for 7 days. BP and positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) were measured after the first acupuncture session and after 7 days of treatment. Results: The results showed that BP was lower in the KI3 group than in the SHR group, both 30–60 min after the first acupuncture session and 24–48 h after the 7-day treatment. Compared with the WKY group, the SHR group had lower glucose metabolism in the motor cortex, sensory cortex, basal ganglia, corpus callosum, caudate putamen, and visual cortex. Compared with the untreated/sham-treated SHR control groups, cerebral glucose metabolism was lower in the medulla oblongata, thalamus, dorsal thalamus, orbital cortex, and hypothalamus after acupuncture at KI3, while it was higher in the olfactory cortex and inferior phrenic muscle. Conclusion: Our results show that, in SHRs, needling at KI3 reduces high BP, most likely by altering the activation of cerebral regions.
Manual acupuncture (MA) can be used to manage high blood pressure; however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown. To explore the mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of hypertension, Wistar Kyoto rats (WKYs) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were subjected to either MA stimulation or the corresponding sham procedure as a negative control (Sham-MA) for 1 week. PET-CT scans, transcriptomics and molecular biology were used to evaluate the effect of MA. The results show that MA can regulate blood pressure in SHRs, change the glucose metabolism of the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVH), and affect the mRNA and protein expression levels of differentially expressed genes in the PVH. These genes may lower blood pressure by regulating angiotensin, endothelial function and inflammation. These findings reveal that MA regulates multiple biological processes and genes/proteins of the PVH, and provide a solid theoretical basis for exploring the mechanisms by which MA regulates hypertension.
Manual acupuncture (MA) can be used to manage high blood pressure, however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown. To explore the mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of hypertension, we used Wistar Kyoto rats (WKYs) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) that were subject to either MA stimulation or the corresponding sham procedure as a negative control (sham-MA) for 1 week. Blood pressure was recorded regularly. After 7 days of treatment, PET-CT scans were used to detect brain areas where glucose metabolism was significantly regulated. Additionally, the differentially expressed genes(DEGs) of a specific brain region—the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVH)—were evaluated by transcriptomics, and verified with quantitative PCR (qPCR). Eight overlapping DEGs were found between the WKY, SHR, and MA groups. The DEGs were then annotated with the Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. qPCR was used to verify the DEGs. These genes may lower blood pressure by regulating angiotensin, endothelial function and inflammation, ect. This study reveals MA regulates multiple biological processes and genes of the PVH, and provides a solid theoretical basis for exploring the mechanisms by which MA manages hypertension.
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