BACKGROUND:Acupuncture has been shown to impact cerebral blood flow, relieve cerebral edema, improve microcirculation and reduce neural cel apoptosis in animals with cerebral palsy.
OBJECTIVE:To further verify the effect of acupuncture on neuronal apoptosis in cerebral palsy rats.
METHODS:Forty-five Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group, model group and the acupuncture group, with 15 rats in each group. In the model and acupuncture groups, rat models of cerebral palsy were established by ligating the left common carotid artery. In the sham surgerygroup, the left common carotid artery was not ligated. Rats in the acupuncture group received acupuncture from 2 days after model induction, once a day, for 20 consecutive days. Rats in the sham surgery and model groups were left intact. At 21 days aftersurgery, neurological functions, pathomorphological changes and neuronal apoptosis were observed.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Motor function score was significantly lower in the model group than in the sham surgery group (P< 0.05). Motor function scorewas significantly higher in the acupuncture group than in the model group at 21 days (P< 0.05). (2) Hematoxylin-eosin staining: In the model group, cels were scattered. Inflammatory cel infiltration and cystis degeneration were found. The number of nerve cels was reduced. Degeneration, necrosis, gliosis and karyopyknosis were detected. Cavitation was visible in some cels. Cel bodies became smal. The structure was not distinct or disappeared. In the sham surgery group, the morphology and structure ofnerve cels were normal. In the acupuncture group, the changes in morphology and structure of nerve cels were found between the sham surgery and model groups. (3) The number of apoptotic cels was significantly greater in the model group than in the sham surgery group (P< 0.05). The number of apoptotic nerve cels was significantly higher in the acupuncture group than in the sham surgery group (P< 0.05), but significantly lower than in the model group (P< 0.05). (4) Results confirmed that acupuncture therapy can improve neurological function, reduce nerve cel apoptosis, and play a protective effect on nerve cels of rats with cerebral palsy.

BACKGROUND:Both acupuncture and neural stem cel therapy have good achievements in the treatment of cerebral palsy, but there are few reports about their combined therapy. OBJECTIVE:To observe the therapeutic effect of combined therapy of acupuncture and neural stem cel transplantation on cerebral palsy rats and to explore the relevant mechanism of action. METHODS: Cerebral palsy models were built in newborn rats, and then, the model rats were subjected to acupuncture, neural stem cel transplantation and their combination, respectively. Meanwhile, normal control group and model group were set up. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the other groups, in the combined therapy group, the behavior scores of cerebral palsy rats improved significantly (P < 0.05), the number of nerve cels and Bcl-2 protein expression were increased significantly (P < 0.05), and the number of apoptotic nerve cels and Bax protein expression were decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Additionaly, there were no significant differences in these indicators among the model, acupuncture and neural stem cel transplantation groups. These findings indicate that the combined therapy of acupuncture and neural stem cel therapy can obviously improve learning and memory ability of cerebral palsy rats and reduce neuronal apoptosis, which is probably associated with down-regulation of Bax protein and up-regulation of Bcl-2 protein.

BACKGROUND:Transplanted neural stem cel s can survive, proliferate and differentiate into neurons and/or glial cel s in the host, thereby promoting partial function recovery in the host.
OBJECTIVE:To study the therapeutic effects of neural stem cel transplantation on cerebral palsy rats. METHODS:Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into three groups:control group, model group and transplantation group. Animal models of cerebral palsy were made in the latter two groups. One week after modeling, rats in the transplantation group were injected 1 mL stem cel suspension (1×105) via the jugular vein, and rats in the control and model group were given the same volume of normal saline. Toe distance, step length and elevated body swing test in rats were detected, and histopathological changes in the rat brain were observed 3 weeks after transplantation.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In the model group, the toe distance and step length of the front left palm were significantly lower than those of the front right palm (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the toe distance and step length in the transplantation and control groups were significantly increased (P<0.05). In the elevated body swing test, rats in the model group presented with asymmetric swing of the
body, but rats in the other two groups exhibited symmetric swing of the body (P<0.05). Additional y, the ratio of right to left hemispheric areas was significantly higher in the transplantation and control groups compared with the model group (P<0.05). In conclusion, neural stem cel transplantation via the jugular vein can improve brain function and restore motor function in rats with cerebral palsy.

BACKGROUND:Both of acupuncture and mesenchymal stem cel transplantation have therapeutic effects on cerebral palsy. OBJECTIVE:To explore the therapentic effect of acupuncture combined with placenta derived mesenchymal stem cel s on rat cerebral palsy. METHODS:Thirty-five Wistar rats were equivalently randomized into five groups, including control group, model group, acupuncture group, transplantation group and combination group. Rat models of cerebral palsy were prepared in al groups except the control group. At 7 days after modeling, in the transplantation group, 10μL placenta derived mesenchymal stem cel s were transplanted into the right cerebral cortex and striatum of rats;rats in theacupuncture group were given acupuncture at Shuigou (DU26), Dazhui (DU14), Baihui (DU20), Guanyuan (RN4) and Qihai (RN6) points;rats in the combination group given acupuncture and transplantation treatment as described above;the model and control groups received no treatment. Then, after 7-day intervention, the body mass, neurological function and pathological changes of rat brain tissues were measured and observed, respectively. . RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The order of the growth rate of body mass was as fol ows:control group>combination group>acupuncture and transplantation groups>model group, and al groups had significant differences except the two groups of acupuncture and transplantation (P<0.05);findings from holding tract, foot error and water finding in maze tests showed the neurological function was best in the control group, fol owed by the combination group, as wel as acupuncture and transplantation groups, and the worst in the model group. Al groups had significant differences except acupuncture and transplantation groups (P<0.05). Besides, in the model group, cel s in the brain and hippocampus decreased, arranging disorderly with fuzzy structure, and inflammatory cel s appeared;pathological changes in the other groups were in between control group and model group, Additional y, brain tissues in the combination group exlibited better pathological changes than those in the acupuncture and transplantation groups, which were similar with the normal brain tissues. To conclude, acupuncture, placenta derived mesenchymal stem cel s transplantation, or their combination can improve neurological function in rats with cerebral palsy, especial y the combination treatment.

BACKGROUND:Acupuncture is proved to have therapeutic effect on cerebral palsy of immature rats.
OBJECTIVE:To discuss the possible effect on cerebral amino acids and neurotransmitters in immature rats with cerebral palsy by using fire-needle.
METHODS:Cerebral palsy models were established in 45 Wistar rats aged 1 week by left common carotid artery ligation and randomly assigned into model, acupuncture and positive groups (n=15 per group). The other five rats were defined as controls, without any management. At 3 days, positive group rats were oral y administrated with brain enzyme solution, and acupuncture group given fire-needle treatment at points of Neiguan (P 6), Yongquan (K 1), Quchi (LI 11) and Baihui (Du 20) for 21 days. Hanging test, inclined plane test and Y maze test were performed 1 hour after the last treatment, and the cerebral cortex and hippocampus were extracted and homogenized after execution. Lelves of acethl choline, norepinephrine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, glutamic acid andγ-aminobutyric acid were recruited, and morphology of hippocampus was observed by pathological section.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Within 21-day treatment, positive and acupuncture treatment rats were more active than model group. Compared with the control group, the body mass in the model group was significantly decreased (P<0.05);compared with the model group, the body mass in the positive and fire-needle groups were significantly increased (P<0.05), while it showed no significant difference between latter two groups. (2) The hanging time of model group rats was significantly shorter than that of control group (P<0.05), and significantly lengthened in the positive and fire-needle groups compared with the model group (P<0.05). Compared with the control rats, the error numbers of model group rats were significantly increased (P<0.05), and conversely, significantly decreased in the positive and fire-needle groups (P<0.05). (3) In the model group, the levels of norepinephrine, 5-hydroxytryptamine andγ-aminobutyric acid were significantly decreased, while glutamic acid significantly increased compared with the control group (P<0.05);compare with the model group, the positive and fire-needle group rats held significantly increased levels of norepinephrine, 5-hydroxytryptamine andγ-aminobutyric acid and decrease of glutamic acid (P<0.05). (4) Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that in the mode group, there were abundant neurons damaged, cel volume reduced, nucleus pycnosis and unclear border with nucleus;both positive and fire-needle groups could improve neuron structure induced by cerebral ischemia. (5) In conclusion, fire-needle can treat cerebral palsy effectively.