Authors: Dong, Hui¹; Fan, Yan-Hong²; Zhang, Wei³; Wang, Qiang¹; Yang, Qian-Zi¹; Xiong, Li-Ze⁴

Source: Neurological Research, Volume 31, Number 8, October 2009 , pp. 853-858(6)

Publisher: Maney Publishing

Abstract:

Objective: This study investigates the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) preconditioning on blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression in subsequent ischemic hemisphere.

Methods: Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats. Animals were randomly divided into four groups: normal, sham-operated, MCAO and EA groups. In EA group, rats received electroacupuncture stimuli at the Baihui acupoint (GV 20) 30 minutes/day for 5 days. Twenty-four hours after last treatment, the MCAO was performed. The brain water content and BBB permeability were measured 24 hours after MCAO. MMP-9 expression and activity were measured at 6, 12 and 24 hours after MCAO.

Results: The results showed that the brain water content of ischemic hemisphere was lower in EA group (81.45 ± 1.09%) compared with MCAO group (83.98 ± 1.30%; p<0.05). Similarly, the Evans blue content in EA group (4.90 ± 1.77 μg/g) was lower compared with MCAO group (9.41 ± 2.87 μg/g; p<0.05). The protein expression and enzyme activity of MMP-9 increased and reached maximum at 24 hours after reperfusion. However, the protein expression was lower in EA group at 12 and 24 hours after reperfusion (p<0.01, versus MCAO group), and enzyme activity was lower in EA group only at 24 hours (p<0.01, versus MCAO group).

Discussion: EA preconditioning could attenuate brain edema and BBB disruption caused by subsequent cerebral ischemia. EA preconditioning could decrease MMP-9 expression and activity, which may be an important mechanism of cerebral ischemic tolerance.

Keywords: BLOOD?BRAIN BARRIER; ELECTROACUPUNCTURE PRECONDITIONING; CEREBRAL ISCHEMIC TOLERANCE; MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASE-9

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/174313209X393960

Affiliations: 1: Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China 2: Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China 3: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China 4: Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, 17 Changlexi Street, Xi'an 710032, China;, Email: lxiong@fmmu.edu.cn

Publication date: 2009-10-01

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