Effect and mechanism of ophthalmic acupuncture combined with tail moxibustion in post-stroke cognitive impairment rats
10.3969/j.issn.1006-2157.2024.09.016
- VernacularTitle:眼针联合尾灸对脑卒中后认知功能障碍大鼠的影响与机制研究
- Author:
Xinyi TANG
1
;
Wei ZHANG
;
Hongfei ZHOU
Author Information
1. 辽宁中医药大学针灸推拿学院 沈阳 110847
- Keywords:
ophthalmic acupuncture;
tail moxibustion;
post-stroke cognitive impairment;
oxidative stress;
oxeiptosis;
rats
- From:
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
2024;47(9):1312-1321
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To explore the effects and possible mechanisms of ophthalmic acupuncture combined with tail moxibustion on the behavior and hippocampus in rats with post-stroke cognitive impairment.Methods Seventy-five male SD rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group (15 rats) and the modeling group (60 rats) using the random number table method. A modified suture-occluded method was used to replicate the occlusion model of the middle cerebral artery in the modeling group,whereas only the right carotid artery was exposed in the sham operation group. After modeling,48 rats with post-stroke cognitive impairment were selected using the Morris water maze experiment,and were randomly divided into the model group,the ophthalmic acupuncture group,the tail moxibustion group and the ophthalmic acupuncture+tail moxibustion group using the random number table method,with 12 rats per group. The sham operation group and the model group were bound with no intervention;the ophthalmic acupuncture group was needled once a day in the bilateral "liver area","kidney area","heart area",and "spleen area",leaving the needle for 30 min;the tail moxibustion group was given mild-warm moxibustion on the area between "Changqiang" (GV1) and the tip of the tail for 20 min,once a day;the ophthalmic acupuncture+tail moxibustion group was given the above-mentioned ophthalmic acupuncture and tail moxibustion interventions simultaneously. After 7 days of intervention,the behavior of the rats was detected. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the hippocampus;the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the hippocampus were detected by colorimetric method;Western blotting was used to detect the protein expressions of Kelch-like ECH associated protein 1 (KEAP1),phosphoglycerate mutase 5 (PGAM5),apoptosis-inducing factor mitochondria associated 1 (AIFM1),nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2),and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the hippocampus of rats;and real-time fluorogenic quantitative PCR was used to determine the mRNA expressions of KEAP1,PGAM5,AIFM1,Nrf2,and HO-1 in the hippocampus. Results Compared with the sham operation group,the escape latency in the model group was prolonged,and the crossing platform number was decreased (P<0.05);the number of neurons in the hippocampal CA1 area was significantly decreased,with a disordered arrangement and irregular morphology,and necrotic neurons were observed;the SOD activity in the hippocampus was decreased,while the MDA content was increased (P<0.05);the protein and mRNA expressions of KEAP1,PGAM5,and AIFM1 were increased,while the protein and mRNA expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 were decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group,the escape latency of rats in the ophthalmic acupuncture+tail moxibustion group was shortened,and the crossing platform number was increased (P<0.05);the loss of neurons in the hippocampal CA1 area of the rat was significantly reduced,and the cell morphology was more plump;SOD activity in the hippocampus was increased,and MDA content was decreased (P<0.05);and the protein and mRNA expressions of KEAP1,PGAM5,and AIFM1 were decreased,while the protein and mRNA expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 were increased (P<0.05).Conclusion The combination of ophthalmic acupuncture and tail moxibustion can be used to treat rats with post-stroke cognitive impairment,and its mechanism may be related to alleviating oxidative stress damage and oxeiptosis in the hippocampus,thereby improving the degree of hippocampal neuronal damage and enhancing the cognitive ability of rats after stroke.
