The Effects of Electroacupuncture in a Rat Model of Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Following Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Involves MicroRNA-223 and the PTEN Signaling Pathway

Abstract

Background: In China, electroacupuncture (EA) is used to treat the symptoms of ischemic stroke. However, the mechanisms involved in the effects of EA in cerebral ischemia remain to be investigated. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of EA in a rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Material/Methods: Seventy-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: the sham group (with sham surgery), the model group (the MCAO model), the EA group (treated with EA), the EA control group, and the EA+antagomir-223-3p group. Rats in the model of CIRI underwent MCAO for 90 minutes. EA was performed on the second postoperative day and was performed at the Waiguan (TE5) and Zusanli (ST36) acupoints. The rat brains were evaluated for structural and molecular markers. Results: EA treatment significantly upregulated the expression of microRNA-223 (miR-223), NESTIN, and NOTCH1, and downregulated the expression of PTEN in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and hippocampus. The luciferase reporter assay supported that PTEN was a direct target of miR-223, and antagomiR-223-3p reversed the effects of EA and reduced the increase in NESTIN and inhibition of PTEN expression associated with EA treatment. There was a negative correlation between PTEN expression and the number of neural stem cells (NSCs). Conclusions: In a rat model of CIRI following MCAO, EA activated the NOTCH pathway, promoted the expression of miR-223, increased the number of NSCs, and reduced the expression of PTEN.

Dexmedetomidine attenuates neuronal injury induced by cerebral ischemia‑reperfusion by regulating miR‑199a

“…During the operation, the room temperature was maintained at 37.0±0.5˚C, and the rectal temperature, respiratory rate and heart rate of animals were monitored. After animals woke up, gait and behavior were observed, and the success of modeling was judged according to the following scoring standard, as previously described (8,22,23): Grade 0 (normal), symptoms without neurological impairment; grade 1 (mild), inextensibility of the left forepaw when lifting the rat tail; grade 2 (moderate), circling to the left side while walking; grade 3 (severe), walking difficulty and leaning to the left; grade 4 (very severe), inability to walk spontaneously. Rats with a score of 1-3 were selected for subsequent experiments.…”

Mechanism Underlying Acupuncture Therapy in Spinal Cord Injury: A Narrative Overview of Preclinical Studies

“…Second, electroacupuncture promotes the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous NSCs by regulating numerous endogenous signals. The upregulation of exosomal miR-146b, NeuroD1, the activation of the Notch pathway, and the downregulation of the PTEN expression are associated with acupuncture-induced improvement of neurological injury after ischemic stroke ( Tao et al, 2014 ; Zhao et al, 2015 ; Sha et al, 2019 ; Zhang et al, 2020 ). In contrast, the potential signals of the acupuncture-induced NSC regulation in the SCI model include Wnt/β-catenin ( Zhang et al, 2017a ), ERK ( Xu et al, 2019 ), miR-449a ( Zhu et al, 2017 ), and Notch pathway ( Wang et al, 2021b ).…”

Efficacy and MicroRNA-Gut Microbiota Regulatory Mechanisms of Acupuncture for Severe Chronic Constipation: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Some studies have shown that the therapeutic effect induced by acupuncture might be correlated with the regulatory mechanism of miRNAs (28)(29)(30). However, there is no report on whether the treatment of SCC by acupuncture involves the miRNA-intestinal microbiota crosstalk.…”