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Electroacupuncture Attenuates Ischemic Brain Injury and Cellular Apoptosis via Mitochondrial Translocation of Cofilin

  • Acupuncture Research
  • Published:
Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the potential mechanisms of electroacupuncture (EA) to prevent ischemic stroke.

Methods

The method of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was employed to establish a rat model of ischemic stroke. Seventy-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the sham group, MCAO + EA control (EC) group, and MCAO + EA (EA) group according to a random number table (n=26 per group). EA was applied to the acupoints of Baihui (DU 20) and Shenting (DU 24) 5 min and 6 h, respectively after the onset of MCAO. Rats in the sham and EC groups received only light isoflurane anesthesia for 30 min after MCAO. The neuroprotective effects of EA were evaluated by rota-rod test, neurological deficit scores and infarct volumes. Additionally, Nissl staining and immunostaining were performed to examine brain damage, rod formation, cellular apoptosis, and neuronal loss induced by ischemia. The activities of caspase-3, and expression levels of cofilin and p-cofilin in mitochondria and cytoplasm after ischemic injury were determined by Western blot.

Results

Compared with the EC group, EA significantly improved neuromotor function and cognitive ability after ischemic stroke (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Therapeutic use of EA also resulted in a significant decrease of cofilin rod formation and microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP2) degradation in the cortical penumbra area compared with the EC rats (P<0.01). Furthermore, Western blot analysis showed that EA stimulation significantly inhibited mitochondrial translocation of cofilin and caspase-3 cleavage (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Additionally, brain damage (infarct volume and neuropathy), cellular apoptosis and neuronal loss induced by ischemia were remarkably suppressed by EA in the cortical penumbra of rats (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

Conclusion

EA treatment after ischemic stroke may attenuate ischemic brain injury and cellular apoptosis through the regulation of mitochondrial translocation of cofilin, a novel mechanism of EA therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and National Clinical Research Base of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Affiliated People’s Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350004, China

    Bin Chen, Wan-qing Lin, Xiao-yong Zhong, Jing Wang, Xiao-fang You & Hong-jia Zhao

  2. Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350108, China

    Zuan-fang Li

  3. Shanghai Key Lab of Birth Defect, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China

    Da-shi Qi

Authors
  1. Bin Chen
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  2. Wan-qing Lin
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  3. Zuan-fang Li
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  4. Xiao-yong Zhong
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  5. Jing Wang
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  6. Xiao-fang You
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  7. Hong-jia Zhao
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  8. Da-shi Qi
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Contributions

Chen B and Qi DS conceived the idea and designed the experiments. Chen B, Lin WQ, Li ZF and Zhong XY performed the experiments and interpreted the experimental results. Zhao HJ, You XF, Wang J and Chen B participated in the study design and data analysis. Chen B, Qi DS and Lin WQ wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the current version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Da-shi Qi.

Ethics declarations

The authors declare that they have no competing interest.

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81804175 and 81803883), Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province (No. 2019J01497), Foundation of Fujian Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technology (No. KF2019006), Special Research Project of National Clinical Research Base of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. JDZX2019040), and Educational Research Project for Young and Middle-Aged Teachers of Education Bureau of Fujian Province (No. JT180216)

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Chen, B., Lin, Wq., Li, Zf. et al. Electroacupuncture Attenuates Ischemic Brain Injury and Cellular Apoptosis via Mitochondrial Translocation of Cofilin. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 27, 705–712 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-021-3335-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-021-3335-4

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