WU Mingjuan, SUN Xiaowei, SUN Zhongren, CHEN Yinghua, JIN Hong, LIUTingting, LIU Tao, ZHANG Hongwei

(1  Heilongjiang  Academy  of  Chinese  Medicine,  Harbin  150036,  China;  2  The  First  Affiliated  Hospital  of 

Heilongjiang  University  of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, China; 3 Heilongjiang University of Chinese 

Medicine, Harbin 150040, China)

Abstract: Objective: Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injur(CIRI) is a more complex pathophysiological process, has not yet entirely clear. Recent studies have shown that inflammatory response is one of the important pathologies of CIRI.Which as the inflammatory response trader TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB cell signaling pathway all  the  key  signal  molecules  can  directly  or  indirectly  affect  the  occurrence  and  the  development  of inflammation of the body,.In this study, we observed the  effect of  Scalp penetration acupuncture  on the expression  of  TLR4  and  MyD88  protein  in  the  ischemic  brain  tissue  of  rats  with  cerebral  ischemiareperfusion  injury,  and  the  neurological deficits,  the  infarct  volume,  the  cortical  neurons  of  cerebral ischemia-  reperfusion  model  rats,  To  investigate  the  Neuroprotective  effects  of  scalp  penetration acupuncture  on  cerebral  ischemia-reperfusion  model  rats  and  its  possible  mechanisms.Methods:99 Sprague-Dawley  rats  were  randomly  divided  into  sham  operation  group,  model  group  and  acupuncture group. According to the reperfusion time were divided into IR1d (n=13), IR3d (n=10) and IR7d (n=10) three subgroups.  Using  a  modified  Zea  Longa  suture  method,  preparation  2h  right  middle  cerebral  artery ischemia-reperfusion  model  (MCAO/R)  rats;the  sham  operation  group  cerebral  artery  blood  flow  is  not interrupted. Acupuncture group in the right side of the head Baihui to Qu Bin points line for Penetrating acupuncture  treatment.  The  neurological  score  of  Belayev's  12-point  score  was  determined  at  the corresponding time points in each group; TTC staining was used to detect the cerebral infarct volume at 1 day after reperfusion; HE staining was used to observe the damage of cortical neurons and infiltration of inflammatory cells; Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to detect the expression of TLR4 and MyD88 protein in ischemic brain tissue of rats in each group.Results:1.The degree of neurological deficit was significantly lower in the acupuncture group than that in the model group at 3d and 7 days (P<0.05). 2.The volume of relative cerebral infarction in acupuncture group was significantly lower than that in model group, There are statistical differences.(P<0.05).3. reperfusion various time points, The degree of neuronal damage and inflammatory cell infiltration in the ischemic cortex of the acupuncture group were significantly lower than those in the model group. 4. acupuncture group ischemic brain tissue and the relative number of positive cells TLR4 protein content at various time points after reperfusion period compared with the model group significantly decreased (P<0.05), while the number of positive cells MyD88 and relative protein content  in  reperfusion  3d,  7d  was  significantly  lower  than  the  model  group  over  the  same period.(P<0.05). Conclusion: The treatment of Scalp penetration acupuncture can significantly improve the neurological deficit of MCAO/R rats, reduce the infarct volume, reduce the damage of cortical neurons, inflammatory  cell  infiltration,  and  have  the  protective  effect  of  brain;The  mechanism  may  be  the  Scalp penetration acupuncture can inhibit TLR4,MyD88 expression in the ischemic brain tissue, thus blocking the signal  transduction  of  TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB  cell  signaling  pathway,  and  then  antagonizing  the  pathway triggered by the inflammatory cascade.

Key words:  Acupuncture; cerebral ischemia-reperfusion  injury; myeloid differentiation factor 88; Toll-like 

receptor 4