OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of catgut implantation at acupoints on the expressions of γ-amino butyric acid B receptor(GABAB ) and metabotropic glutamate receptor 1(mGluR1) in the brain stem of rats with spasticity after stroke.METHODS: In total, 60 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: a sham group(n=10), a model group(n=25) and a treatment group(n=25). The rats in both the model group and the treatment group were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion to establish a model of focal cerebral ischemia. Rats with limb-spasm met the inclusion criteria. Only the left carotid artery was isolated in sham group rats. Three days after modeling, the treatment group was subjected to catgut implantation at Dazhui(GV 14), Guanyuan(CV 4), and Zhongwan(CV 12). Neurological deficit symptoms were assessed with the Zea-Longa neurological deficit score. The Modified Ashworth Scale(MAS), and isolated muscle tone were used to evaluate spasticity before and after treatment. Immunohistochemistry was applied to determine the expression of GABAB and mGluR1 in the rat brain stem after treatment.RESULTS: After treatment, neural impairment symptoms had significantly improved in the treatment group when compared to the model group(P