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Electro-acupuncture at Governor Vessel improves neurological function in rats with spinal cord injury

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Abstract

Objective

To determine the effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) at Governor Vessel (GV) on the locomotor function in spinal cord injury (SCI) rats and explore the underlying mechanism.

Methods

Thirtytwo male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups namely: the sham group (with sham operation); the untreated group (without treatment after spinal cord impact); the EA-1 group [EA applied at Baihui (GV 20) and Fengfu (GV 16) after spinal cord impact] and the EA-2 group [with EA applied at Dazhui (GV 14) and Mingmen (GV 4) after spinal cord impact]. Real-time quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western Blotting were used to assess changes in the mRNA and protein expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) at 7 weeks following EA administration. In addition, the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) Locomotor Rating Scale was assessed at 1 day, 1 week, 3 weeks and 7 weeks post-injury.

Results

The results showed that EA stimulation induced neuroprotective effects after SCI correlated with the up-regulation of BDNF and NT-3 (P<0.05). Furthermore, EA stimulation at GV 14 and GV 4 could significantly promote the recovery of locomotor function and this may be linked to the up-regulation of BDNF and NT-3 (P<0.05).

Conclusions

EA treatment applied at GV acupoints either within the injury site or adjacent undamaged regions near the brain can improve functional recovery, which may be correlated with the upregulation of BDNF and NT-3. In addition, it would be more effective to administer EA at GV 14 and GV 4 near the injury site of the SCI rats.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shandong University, Jinan, 250033, China

    Wen-zhan Tu

  2. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang Province, China

    Song-he Jiang, Si-si Li, Peng-peng Gu, Rong He, Jie Hu & Li-ping Gao

  3. Department of Rehabilitation, Dongyang People’s Hospital, Dongyang 322100, Zhejiang Province, China

    Li Zhang

  4. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250033, China

    Qiang-san Sun

Authors
  1. Wen-zhan Tu
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  2. Song-he Jiang
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  3. Li Zhang
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  4. Si-si Li
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  5. Peng-peng Gu
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  6. Rong He
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  7. Jie Hu
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  9. Qiang-san Sun
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Correspondence to Qiang-san Sun.

Additional information

Supported by Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province, China (No. Y12H270010); Science and Technical Foundation of Wenzhou City, China (No.Y20110069)

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Tu, Wz., Jiang, Sh., Zhang, L. et al. Electro-acupuncture at Governor Vessel improves neurological function in rats with spinal cord injury. Chin. J. Integr. Med. (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-017-2968-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-017-2968-9

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