OBJECTIVETo investigate whether pretreatment with repeated electroacupuncture (EA) at the Baihui acupoint could induce ischemic tolerance against transient focal cerebral ischemic injury in rats.

METHODSThirty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=10 for each): the control group consisted of animals receiving no treatment, the isoflurane (ISO) group had animals that inhaled 1.5% isoflurane for 30 min a day for 5 days, and animals in the EA group received electroacupuncture at the Baihui acupoint for 30 min a day for 5 days under 1.5% isoflurane anesthesia. Twenty-four hours after the last treatment, the middle cerebral artery was occluded with No. 3 nylon monofilament for 120 min. The neurological outcomes were evaluated 24 h after reperfusion. The infarct volumes were then assessed using 2% triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining after the neurological outcome evaluation.

RESULTSThe neurological deficit score (NDS) of the EA group [1 (0-2)] was lower than that of the ISO group [2 (1-3)] and the control group [2 (1-4)], P < 0.05. The infarct volume of the EA group (38.3 +/- 25.4 mm(3)) was significantly smaller than that of the control group (220.5 +/- 66.0 mm(3)) and the ISO group (168.6 +/- 57.6 mm(3)) 24 h after reperfusion.

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture at the Baihui acupoint 30 min a day for 5 days significantly reduces neurological injury induced by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion.