OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of eye acupuncture on neural function and angiogenesis of ischemic cerebral tissue in rats, and explore the roles of METTL3-mediated m⁶A methylation and the HIF-1α/VEGF-A signal axis in mediating this effect. METHODS: Fifty SD rats were randomized into normal control group, sham-operated group, model group, eye acupuncture group and DMOG (a HIF-1α agonist) group. Rat models of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI) were established using a modified thread thrombus method, and the changes in neurological deficits of the rats after interventions were evaluated. TTC and Nissl staining were used to examine the changes in infarction size and neuronal injury, and cerebral angiogenesis was detected by double-immunofluorescence staining. m⁶A methylation modification level in the brain tissue was detected by ELISA, and RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of METTL3 and HIF-1α/VEGF-A. RESULTS: Compared with the control and sham-operated rats, the CIRI rats had significantly higher neurological deficit scores with larger cerebral infarction area, a greater number of CD31- and EDU-positive new vessels, higher expression levels of HIF-1α and VEGF-A, reduced number of Nissl bodies and m6A methylation level, and lowered METTL3 protein and mRNA expressions. All these changes were significantly improved by interventions with eye acupuncture after modeling or intraperitoneal injections of DMOG for 7 consecutive days prior to modeling, and the effects of the two interventions were similar. CONCLUSIONS Eye acupuncture can improve neurological deficits in CIRI rat models possibly by promoting cortical angiogenesis via upregulating METTL3-mediated m⁶A methylation and regulating the HIF-1α/VEGF-A signal axis.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Methyltransferases/metabolism* ; Reperfusion Injury/physiopathology* ; Methylation ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/metabolism* ; Rats ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism* ; Brain Ischemia/metabolism* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Male ; Up-Regulation ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; Angiogenesis ; Adenosine/analogs & derivatives*

OBJECTIVE：To investigate the regulation effects of volatile oil from Angelica sinensis on autophagy of myocardial cell H 9C2 in rats with hypoxia and reoxygenation （H/R）injury. METHODS ：Using myocardial cell H 9C2 as subject ，CCK-8 method was used to screen the optimal concentration and administration time of volatile oil from A. sinensis. The acitivity of LDH in cell supernatant was determined after treated with volatile oil from A. sinensis by ELISA. Using autophagy inhibitors （3-methyladenine，5 mmol/L） as positive control ，MDC method and Western blotting assay were used to detect average fluorescence intensity of MDC and the expression of autophagy related proteins [Beclin- 1，microtubule associated protein light chain 3Ⅱ（LC3Ⅱ），LC3Ⅰ] in H 9C2 cells after treated with medicines. RESULTS ：After treated with 0.6 μmol/L violate oil from A. sinensis for 6 h，compared with blank group ，LDH activity in cell supernatant ，average fluorescence intensity of MDC ，the expression of Beclin- 1，LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio in cells were increased significantly in H/R group ，while the expression of p 62 was decreased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with H/R group ，the activity of LDH in cell supernatant of H/R+drug group as well as average fluorescence intensity of MDC ，the expression of Beclin- 1，LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰratio in cells in H/R+drug group and H/R+autophagy inhibitor group were decreased significantly ，while the expression of p 62 were increased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS ：The volatile oil from A. sinensis can reduce the autophagy level of H/R injury myocardial cells by regulating the expression of autophagy related proteins.