这可能是头皮针减轻脑缺血损伤并促使肢体功能恢复的机理之一Objective: To study the effect of scalp acupuncture on cerebral nerve growth factor (NGF) expression in cerebral ischemia rats. Methods: A total of 50 Wistar rats were evenly randomized into control
sham operation
model
electroacupuncture (EA) and hand acupuncture groups. Cerebral ischemia model was established by occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery with a nylon thread embolus. “Baihui"(GV 20) and “Qubin"(GB 7) were punctured and stimulated with an EA stimulator (EA group) and hand manipulation (hand acupuncture). The treatment was given once daily and continuously for 15 days. The brain tissue samples were fixed with formaldehyde
sliced up
and then stained with immunohistochemical technique for observing NGF expression. Results: Auto comparison between 6 hr and 15 d after operation in neurological defect scores of model group showed no significant difference (P>0.05)
but in both EA and hand acupuncture groups
the neurological defect scores decreased apparently after treatment (P<0.01). There were notable differences between EA group and model group
and between hand acupuncture group and model group in the score (P< 0.01)
but no distinct difference was found between EA group and hand acupuncture group in the score (P>0.05). It showed a favorable effect of acupuncture in improving cerebral ischemia induced neurological dysfunction. Immunohistochemical staining of the cerebral cortex tissue displayed that NGF immunoreaction (IR) positive neurons (+) appeared in only one animal of model group and no IR positive neurons were found in control and sham operation group. The mild (+)
moderate () and strong () IR positive neurons in EA and hand acupuncture groups were found in 7 and 1
2 and 7
1 and 2 animals respectively. Rank test showed that the IR density of both EA and hand acupuncture group was stronger than that of model group (P<0.05~0.01) and the effect of hand acupuncture group was significantly superior to that of EA group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Scalp acupuncture can improve neurological function and upregulate the expression of cortical NGF in cerebral ischemia rats.