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Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine >

2023 , Vol. 43 >Issue 5: 944 - 954

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20230727.001

Electroacupuncture ameliorates cardiac dysfunction in myocardial ischemia model rats: a potential role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

  • Kun WANG ,
  • Jie ZHOU ,
  • Shuai CUI ,
  • Xin WU ,
  • Guoqi ZHU ,
  • Shengbing WU ,
  • Meiqi ZHOU
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  • 1 Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, China
    2 Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
    3 Colleges of Acupuncture and Massage, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, China
    4 Bozhou Institute of Chinese Medicine, Anhui Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Bozhou 236800, China

Received date: 2022-06-26

  Accepted date: 2022-09-14

  Online published: 2023-06-27

Supported by

Natural Science Foundation-funded Project: Exploring the Mechanism of Anti-Ischemic Effect of Acupuncture Based on the Regulation of Hippocampal-HPA Axis by Glutamatergic Neurons(82004462);Opening Project of Zhejiang Provincial Preponderant and Characteristic Subject of Key University (Chinese Traditional Medicine): Study of the Mechanism of Action of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Myocardial Ischemia in Rats Based on the Amygdala Glutamatergic System-Mediated Affective Changes(ZYXYB2019002);National Key Research and Development Program of China: Influence of Heart and Lung Meridians on Heart and Lung Function(SQ2018YFC170298);National Natural Science Foundation of Anhui: Mechanism of Action of Intestinal Flora Involved in the Intervention of Myocardial Ischemia by Acupuncture of the Heart Meridian(1908085MH289)

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To verify the hypothesis that electroacupuncture inhibits the hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis via regulating the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the hippocampus of acute myocardial ischemia (AMI) rats.
METHODS: Sixty-six healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: Sham, AMI (Model), electroacupuncture at Shenmen (HT7)-Tongli (HT5) segment (EA), non-acupoint electroacupuncture (Control), and Model + corticosterone (Model + CORT). AMI was induced via occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, followed by 3 d of electroacupuncture at Shenmen (HT7)-Tongli (HT5) segment. In the Control group, electroacupuncture was applied at points lying 5 and 10 mm from the base of the tail. The AMI + CORT group was injected with CORT (20 mg/kg) in saline. Hemorheology, electrocardiography (ECG), hematoxylin and eosin staining, and expression of glycogen phosphorylase BB (GPBB) and heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) were used to assess cardiac function. The effects of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and CORT were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Protein expression in the Sham and Model groups were screened by tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomics analysis. Protein expression was evaluated by Western blotting (vimentin and GFAP) and immunofluorescence staining (GFAP).
RESULTS: Compared with the Sham group, the hemorheology indicators, heart rate, ECG-ST segment elevation, and GPBB and H-FABP levels were higher in Model rats. The EA group showed reductions in these indicators compared with the Model group. Similarly, in Model rats, the expression of ACTH and CORT were significantly increased compared with the Sham group. The EA group also showed reduced expression of ACTH and CORT. Importantly, proteomics analysis showed that vimentin was differentially expressed in Model rats. Compared with the Sham group, vimentin and GFAP expression in the hippocampus was increased in the Model group but decreased in the AMI + EA group. Additionally, intraperitoneal injection of CORT aggravated the expression of GPBB, H-FABP and GFAP.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that electroacupuncture may protect against cardiac injury induced by AMI through regulation of HPA axis hyperactivity, and that hippocampal GFAP may play an important role in the regulation.

Key words： acupuncture; myocardial ischemia; hippocampus; vimentin; glial fibrillary acidic protein; hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal

Cite this article

Kun WANG , Jie ZHOU , Shuai CUI , Xin WU , Guoqi ZHU , Shengbing WU , Meiqi ZHOU . Electroacupuncture ameliorates cardiac dysfunction in myocardial ischemia model rats: a potential role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2023 , 43(5) : 944 -954 . DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20230727.001

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