Effect of Jiaji Electroacupuncture on Motor Function and NogoA, RhoA and ROCKⅡ Protein Expression in Spinal Cord Tissue of Rats with Acute Spinal Cord Injury
WU Lei1, LI Xiao-ning2, QIN Ye-xiao2, LIANG Xue-song1,SHAN Xiao-chun1, MEI Ji-lin1, LI Nuo1 (1Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150001,China; 2Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150001)
ABSTRACT: Objective:To observe the effect of Jiaji electric acupuncture on limb motor function and myelin-related inhibitory factor Nogo-A and RhoA, ROCK Ⅱ protein expression in rats with acute spinal cord injury . To explore the mechanism of Jiaji electric acupuncture in the treatment of acute spinal cord injury. Methods: Eighteen Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group and Jiaji electric acupuncture group. The model of acute spinal cord injury was made by NYU striker. The electric acupuncture group was treated with electroacupuncture at the upper and lower points of the injury section. The treatment was repeated for 28 days. The motor function of acute spinal cord injury wasevaluated by BBB score at 1d, 3d, 7d, 14d and 28d. The pathological changes of spinal cord were observed by HE staining after 28 days of treatment. After 28 days of treatment, Tissue expression of Nogo-A, RhoA and ROCK Ⅱ proteins. Results:Compared with the sham group, the BBB score of the model group and the acupuncture group decreased significantly at each time point (P <0.05), and then the score increased gradually. Compared with the model group, the BBB score was significantly increased High (P <0.05). HE staining results showed that the spinal cord tissue of the sham operation group was intact and the spinal cord tissue in the model group was severely damaged, showing the formation of voids, the decrease of the number of nerve cells, the glial cell and inflammatory cell infiltration; the spinal cord tissue structure The number of nerve cells was higher than that of the model group, and the number of inflammatory cells was lower than that of the model group. Compared with the sham group, the expression of Nogo-A, RhoA and ROCK Ⅱ protein in the model group were significantly higher than those in the sham group (P <0.05). Compared with the model group, the expression of Nogo-A, RhoA and ROCK Ⅱ (P <0.05). Conclusion:Jiaji electroacupuncture can significantly improve the limb motor function and pathological changes of spinal cord in rats with acute spinal cord injury, which may be related to the down-regulation of Nogo-A, RhoA and ROCKⅡ protein expression in spinal cord injury microenvironment.
Keywords:Acu-moxibustion and Tuina,Jiaji electroacupuncture, Acute spinal cord injury, Motor function, Nogo-A