OBJECTIVETo study the effects of acupuncture combined with rat nerve growth factor (NGF) on the cerebral palsy infant rats and the proteins which associated with growth, apoptosis and metabolism.

METHODSSeventy infant rats were selected, Fifty infant rats of which were made the cerebral palsy infant model by the ligation of unilateral carotid artery for cerebral ischemia and oxygen-deficient environment, then the 30 model rats were randomly divided into a model group, a NGF group and a combined group, 10 rats in each group. Twenty infant rats were used in the sham-operated group and the blank control group, 10 rats in each group. The treatment was not given in the blank control group. The rats in the sham-operated group were cut the neck skin and separated the left carotid artery, and then sutured and disinfected the wound. The intraperitoneal injection of NGF (2000 U•kg•d) was used in the NGF group. Based on the injection in the NGF group, acupuncture was used in the combined group, once a day, and the acupoints were "Baihui" (GV 20), left "nieⅠ" (extra), "Dazhui" (GV 14), "Jizhong" (extra), "Quchi" (LI 11), "Yongquan" (KI 1), "Hegu" (LI 4), "Zhoujie" (extra) and "Xiqianxue" (extra). The same volume of saline was intraperitoneally injected in the model group for continuous 14 days. Neurobehavioral ability score was evaluated after treatment. TUNEL were conducted to detect the brain cell apoptosis rate and the expressions of apoptosis associated gene Bax, Bcl-2 and Casp3 were detected by PCR. The level of nerve growth associated protein (GAP-43) and energy metabolism-related protein monocarboxylate transporter protien 1(MCT 1) were detected by Western blot.

RESULTSAfter intervention, the neurobehavioral ability of baby rats in the blank control and sham-operated group was normal, but there was various degrees of abnormity in the model group, NGF group and combined group. The scores of neurobehavioral ability of the combined group and NGF group were better than those of the model control (all <0.05), and the scores in the combined group was better than those in the NGF group (all <0.05). The left brain cell apoptosis rate, expressions of Bax and Casp3 in the combined group and NGF group were lower and the expressions of Bcl-2 were higher than those of the model group (all <0.05), with more obvious results of Bax and Gasp3 in the combined group than those in the NGF group (all <0.05). The protein levels of GAP-43 and MCT 1 in the combined group and NGF group were higher than those in the model group (all <0.05), with higher expressions in the combined group compared with those in the NGF group (both <0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture combined with NGF could improve the neurobehavioral ability of cerebral palsy infant rats, inhibit the nerve cell apoptosis and improve the brain tissue injure and energy metabolism by up-regulating the expressions of GAP-43 and MCT 1.