Effect of Acupuncture on Neurological Recovery and Remyelination of Ischemic Focus in Rats with Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion / 国际脑血管病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the protection of acupuncture on damaged myelin sheath from the poinr of view of neurological functional recovery and morphological changes of the myelin sheath.Methods:Eighty-nine adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to normal (n=5),sham-operation (n=21),model (n=21),early acupuncture (n=21) and late acupancture (n=21) groups.A model of middle cerebral artery occlusion was induced by the intraluminal filament method.Acupuncture was performed at different time points after ischemia.Neurological function and morphological changes of the myelin sheath of ischemic focus were observed by using the methods of neurological deficit scores and Pal-Weigert's myelin staining.Results:Neurological deficit scores at 2.5 hours after the procedure in the model group increased significantly (P＜0.05).qhe scores decreased somewhat as the time elapsed.The internal capsule had obvious demyelination and recovered slowly.Neurological deficit scores in rats at each time point decreased faster in the acupuncture group compared with the model group,and they decreased significantly at day 3 (P＜0.05);the extent of demyelination was significantly alleviated.Neurological deficit scores decreased faster in the early acupuncture group compared with the late acupuncture group (P＜0.05);and demyelination in the early acupuncture group seemed milder at day one.Conclusions:Early acupuncture is beneficial to remyelination and neurological functional recovery after cerebral ischemia.