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Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine >

2023 , Vol. 43 >Issue 2: 329 - 336

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20221226.003

Original articles

Efficacy of acupuncture on repair of glial scars in rats with traumatic brain injury

  • Hai ZENG ,
  • Luxi CAO ,
  • Zhao PANG ,
  • Sisi ZHAO ,
  • Shiqi WANG ,
  • Zhuowen LIN ,
  • Minan CHEN ,
  • Shujun LIN ,
  • Yimin ZHANG
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  • 1 Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
    2 Medical Administration Division, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
    3 Medical College of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China

Received date: 2021-11-22

  Accepted date: 2022-04-04

  Online published: 2023-03-14

Supported by

National Natural Science Foundation of China: Explore the Effect and Mechanism of Acupuncture for Neuroinflammation and Glial Scars After Traumatic Brain Injury Based on the Signaling Pathway of TLR2/4-NFκB(81574066);National Natural Science Foundation of China: Explore the Effect of Acupuncture on Brain Function Remodeling and the Benign Bidirectional Regulation to Autophagy After TBI(81873362);National Natural Science Foundation of China: Basing on the Theory of Bidirectional Benign Regulation to Investigate the Mechanism of Acupuncture Regulating Microglia-mediated Immune Imbalance to Promote Nerve Repair After TBI(82174483);National Natural Science Foundation of China: Based on Iron Metabolic Pathway to Explore the Mechanism of Electroacupuncture Inhibits Ferroptosis to Reduce TBI Nerve Injury(82205249);China Postdoctoral Science Foundation: the Effect and Mechanism of Electroacupuncture in Promoting Neural Function Repair by Regulating Iron Metabolism in Neurons of TBI Rats(2022M710912);Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province: the Effect and Mechanism of Acupuncture on the Linkage of Neuron Autophagy and Apoptosis after TBI Based on PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway(2021A1515011219);Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province: the Effect and Mechanism of Acupuncture on Microglial Polarization Mediated Immune Homeostasis After TBI Based on TREM2/STAT6/NFκB Signaling Pathway(2021A1515110146)

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To explore the underlying mechanism of acupuncture on nerve repair by investigating its effect on the differentiation of glial cells and the repair of glial scars.

METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to three groups: normal group, model group, and acupuncture group. Acupuncture was applied at Renzhong (GV26), Baihui (GV20), Fengfu (GV16), Yamen (GV15) and Hegu (LI4) within 12 h after TBI modeling with a frequency of one session per day for 4 weeks. Neurobehavioral assessment, hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunofluorescence detection, and magnetic resonance imaging scanning were performed on days 3, 7, 14, and 28 after modeling of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

RESULTS: Acupuncture promoted the proliferation of glial cells and glial scars at an early stage but inhibited the proliferation of glial cells and glial scars at a late stage. Morphological observations and immunofluorescence histochemistry showed that the morphology of the perilesional cortex in the acupuncture group was improved and the number of neurons was increased when compared with the model group. The lesion size of ipsilateral brain parenchyma in the acupuncture group was smaller than in the model group on days 7, 14, and 28 (P < 0.05) after TBI modeling.

CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture might have a bidirectional regulatory effect on glial scar repair after TBI by promoting the proliferation of glial cells and glial scars to limit the injured area and relieve nerve injury during the early stages, and by inhibiting glial scar hyperplasia to benefit the regeneration and repair of neurons and axons and promote neurological function recovery during the later stages.

Key words： acupuncture; astrocytes; microglia; gliosis; brain injuries, traumatic

Cite this article

Hai ZENG , Luxi CAO , Zhao PANG , Sisi ZHAO , Shiqi WANG , Zhuowen LIN , Minan CHEN , Shujun LIN , Yimin ZHANG . Efficacy of acupuncture on repair of glial scars in rats with traumatic brain injury[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2023 , 43(2) : 329 -336 . DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20221226.003

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