Objective:To study the mechanism of acupuncture of "Baihui"(GV 20) and "Taiyang"(EX-HN 5) in improving cerebral ischemia(CI) injury and vascular endothelial cellular function.Methods: Eighty old male Wistar rats were randomized into control(n=8)

model(n=32)

acupuncture(n=32)

sham-operation(n=8) groups.Model and acupuncture groups were further evenly and respectively divided into(1 d)

(3 d)

(5 d) and(10 d) subgroups.CI model was established by using middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) method."Baihui"(GV 20) and "Taiyang"(EX-HN 5) were punctured with filiform needles which were twirled rapidly at a frequency of about 200 revolutions/min for(1 min)(1 time/10 min)

and retained for 30 min.The treatment was given once daily

continuously for 1

3

5 and 10 days respectively in different subgroups.Endothelin(ET)-1

intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1

and factor Ⅷ related antigen(FⅧR-Ag) of CA_3 area tissue of the hippocampus were assayed with immunohistochemical method(SABC).Results: The CI rats' behavioral symptoms of(5 d) and(10 d) groups were improved significantly in comparison with the corresponding subgroups of model group (P<0.05

0.01).Compared with(1 d)

(3 d)

(5 d) and(10 d) subgroups of control group

the total area and integral optical density(IOD) values of ICAM-1

ET1 and FⅧR-Ag expression in CA_3 of hippocampus all increased significantly in the 4 subgroups of model group(P<0.01).Compared with 4 subgroups of model group

the total area values of acupuncture group

ICAM-1 expression in the 4 subgroups

ET-1 in(5 d) and(10 d) subgroups decreased significantly

and FⅧR-Ag expression in(3 d)

(5 d) and(10) d subgroups increased;IOD values of ICAM-1 in(3 d)

(5 d) and(10 d) subgroups

ET-1 in(5 d) and(10 d) subgroups decreased markedly

and FⅧR-Ag in(3 d)

(5 d) and(10 d) subgroupsall increased considerably(P<0.05

0.01).Conclusion: Acupuncture of "Baihui"(GV 20) and "Taiyang"(EX-HN 5) can improve CI rats' behavior and regulate the expression of vascular endothelial ICAM-1

ET-1 and FⅧR-Ag in CA_3 of hippocampus and has accumulative effects.