Early electroacupuncture treatment ameliorates neuroinflammation in rats with traumatic brain injury

Abstract

BackgroundNeuroinflammation is the leading cause of neurological sequelae after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the neuroprotective effects of electroacupuncture (EA) are mediated by anti-neuroinflammatory effects in a rat model of TBI.MethodsMale Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham-operated, TBI control, and EA-treated. The animals in the sham-operated group underwent a sham operation, those in the TBI control group were subjected to TBI, but not EA, and those in the EA group were treated with EA for 60 min immediately after TBI, daily for 3 consecutive days. EA was applied at the acupuncture points GV20, GV26, LI4, and KI1, using a dense-dispersed wave, at frequencies of 0.2 and 1 Hz, and an amplitude of 1 mA. Cell infarction volume (TTC stain), neuronal apoptosis (markers: TUNEL and Caspase-3), activation of microglia (marker: Iba1) and astrocytes (marker: GFAP), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression in the microglia and astrocytes were evaluated by immunofluorescence. Functional outcomes were assessed using the inclined plane test. All tests were performed 72 h after TBI.ResultsWe found that TBI-induced loss of grasp strength, infarction volume, neuronal apoptosis, microglial and astrocyte activation, and TNF-α expression in activated microglia and astrocytes were significantly attenuated by EA treatment.ConclusionsTreatment of TBI in the acute stage with EA for 60 min daily for 3 days could ameliorate neuroinflammation. This may thus represent a mechanism by which functional recovery can occur after TBI.

Electroacupuncture Alleviates Surgical Trauma-Induced Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal Axis Hyperactivity Via microRNA-142

“…To date, EA has been proven to inhibit microglia activation (Tang et al, 2016 ), attenuate inflammation (Wang et al, 2009 ), reduce oxidative stress (Chen Y. et al, 2016 ), and maintain homeostasis (Li M. et al, 2014 ), which are all stress-related. Interestingly, study had utilized a pretreatment of EA at ST 36 as an acupoint (Chen Y. et al, 2016 ).…”

Electroacupuncture at GV20 and ST36 Exerts Neuroprotective Effects via the EPO‐Mediated JAK2/STAT3 Pathway in Cerebral Ischemic Rats

“…Since ancient times, acupuncture has been commonly used to restore the internal balance and harmony of the body through the insertion of several needles or sometimes lasers into defined points using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theories. A considerable number of studies that evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture intervention have been conducted for many diseases, such as migraine attacks [ 21 ], traumatic brain injury [ 22 ], acute cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury [ 23 ], Alzheimer's disease [ 24 ], and depression [ 25 ].…”

The preemptive analgesia of pre-electroacupuncture in rats with formalin-induced acute inflammatory pain

“…Prior studies have noted the important role of microglia in EA analgesia both in chronic pain and acute pain model, via suppressing its activation to reverse the central sensitization of pain. 7,33 However, there is no attention to the change in microglia and neurons in spinal cord by EA stimulation at different times in this study, which may provide the correlation between microglia and neuron activation.…”