Objective: To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on mitochondrial membrane potential and neuronal apoptosis in the cerebral cortex of rats with focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CI/R) injury.
Methods: Thirty-six male SD rats were uniformly randomized into sham operation (sham), CI/R and CI/R + EA groups. CI/R model was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and reperfusion. EA (2/15 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to "Shuigou" (GV 26) and "Baihui" (GV 20) for 30 min after CI/R. The mitochondrial membrane potential and neuronal apoptosis in the cerebral cortex (fronto-parietal lobes) in each group were detected by flow cytometer (FCM).
Results: In comparison with sham group, the mitochondrial membrane potential of CI/R group decreased significantly (P<0.01), while compared with CI/R group, it increased remarkably in CI/R + EA group (P<0.01). The percentage of neuronal apoptosis in CI/R group was significantly higher than that in sham group (P<0.01), and that of CI/R + EA group was significantly lower than that of CI/R group (P<0.01).
Conclusion: EA can alleviate CI/R injury partially by up-regulating the mitochondrial membrane potential, which may contribute to its effect in reducing cerebral neuronal apoptosis.