Effect of Electroacupuncture at Ear on Rats with Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion

• Main Authors: Tai-Hsiang Huang, 黃泰祥
• Other Authors: Ching-Liang Hsieh
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/598d5e

碩士 === 中國醫藥大學 === 針灸研究所碩士班 === 102 === Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion is a sign which decreases blood flow to the brain, and sustained reduction of cerebral blood flow (CBF) causes neural damage and brain cell death. Cranial nerves VII, IX and X supply the auricle and there also have parasympathetic components. In this study, we investigated whether the effects of auricular electroacupuncture(EA) could activate the parasympathetic nerves to elevate the cerebral blood flow on rats with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. We recruited Wistar rats and permanent occlusion of bilateral common carotid artery(BCCB) was carried out, and then randomly divided rats into five groups: experimental groups(15-Hz, 2-Hz and sham) and control groups(15-Hz and 2-Hz). The motor function was test before BCCB and three weeks after BCCB. Auricular EA were administered 3 weeks later after BCCB, and laser-Doppler flowmeter would be scanned both sides of cortical blood flow at these periods of the pre-EA,EA, and post-EA. Afterwards, the rats were sacrificed and the brain tissue were removed for section and immune staining. The result indicated that the motor function appeared significantly impaired after BCCB occluding. Auricular EA showed that CBF was elevated only at 15Hz stimulation period in experimental group ipsilaterally,but the CBF showed no significant difference after auricular EA stimulation in experimental groups(2-Hz and sham) and control groups(15-Hz and 2-Hz). Anti-n-AChRα4 antibody and ChAT staining were done for cortex and habenular nuclei area. The result indicated that the Anti-n-AChRα4 antibody immunoreactive cells number were increased ipsilaterally in cortex and habenular nuclei area only at 15Hz EA in experimental group. The results can’t be observed difference by ChAT staining in cortex and habenular nuclei area. In conclusion, our results suggest that auricular EA stimulation could elevate CBF ipsilaterally at 15-Hz in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion model, and auricular EA could contribute to elevating cerebral cortical blood flow via activation of nAChR.