Electroacupuncture promotes post-stroke functional recovery via enhancing endogenous neurogenesis in mouse focal cerebral ischemia

PLoS One. 2014 Feb 24;9(2):e90000. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090000. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

To investigate the question of whether electroacupuncture (EA) promotes functional recovery via enhancement of proliferation and differentiation of neuronal stem cells (NSCs) in ischemic stroke, EA stimulation with 2 Hz was applied at bilateral acupoints to Baihui (GV20) and Dazhui (GV14) in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mice. EA stimulation improved neuromotor function and cognitive ability after ischemic stroke. EA stimulation resulted in an increase in the number of proliferated cells, especially in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the ipsilateral hemisphere. Although a very limited number of NSCs survived and differentiated into neurons or astrocytes, EA treatment resulted in a significant increase in the number of proliferative cells and differentiated cells in the hippocampus and SVZ of the ipsilateral hemisphere compared to MCAO mice. EA stimulation resulted in significantly increased mRNA expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Protein levels of these factors were confirmed in the ipsilateral hippocampus and SVZ by immunohistochemical and Western blotting analyses. Expression of phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase, BDNF, and VEGF-mediated down-stream were enhanced by EA stimulation in newly formed neuroblasts. These results indicate that EA treatment after ischemic stroke may promote post-stroke functional recovery by enhancement of proliferation and differentiation of NSCs via the BDNF and VEGF signaling pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / pathology
  • Brain / physiopathology
  • Brain Ischemia / complications
  • Brain Ischemia / pathology*
  • Brain Ischemia / physiopathology*
  • Brain Ischemia / therapy
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cell Survival
  • Electroacupuncture*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Nerve Growth Factors / genetics
  • Neural Stem Cells / pathology
  • Neurogenesis*
  • Recovery of Function*
  • Stroke / complications*

Substances

  • Nerve Growth Factors

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2013R1A1A2005824). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.