Restoring the Autonomic Balance in an Atrial Fibrillation Rat Model by Electroacupuncture at the Neiguan Point

Yang Su; Jing Huang; Shengxuan Sun; Teng He; Taiyi Wang; Mengyue Fan; Huanhuan Yu; Jinglan Yan; Lin Yao; Yucen Xia; Meng Zhang; Yuanjia Zheng; Xiaoyan Luo; Yuewen Zhang; Manqi Lu; Meixia Zou; Cunzhi Liu; Yongjun Chen

doi:10.1016/j.neurom.2022.11.005

Restoring the Autonomic Balance in an Atrial Fibrillation Rat Model by Electroacupuncture at the Neiguan Point

Neuromodulation. 2022 Dec 13:S1094-7159(22)01366-6. doi: 10.1016/j.neurom.2022.11.005. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yang Su¹, Jing Huang¹, Shengxuan Sun¹, Teng He², Taiyi Wang², Mengyue Fan², Huanhuan Yu², Jinglan Yan², Lin Yao², Yucen Xia², Meng Zhang², Yuanjia Zheng², Xiaoyan Luo¹, Yuewen Zhang¹, Manqi Lu¹, Meixia Zou¹, Cunzhi Liu³, Yongjun Chen⁴

Affiliations

¹ South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
² Research Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
³ International Acupuncture and Moxibustion Innovation Institute, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China.
⁴ South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Research Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: chyj417@126.com.

PMID: 36522251
DOI: 10.1016/j.neurom.2022.11.005

Abstract

Objectives: Autonomic nervous activity imbalance plays an important role in atrial fibrillation (AF). AF can be treated by acupuncture at the Neiguan point (PC6), but the mechanism remains elusive. Here, we investigated autonomic nervous system activity in electroacupuncture (EA) at PC6 in a rat AF model.

Material and methods: In this study, we established a rat AF model via tail vein injection with ACh-CaCl₂ for ten consecutive days with or without EA at PC6. AF inducibility and heart rate variability (HRV) were assessed by electrocardiogram. Next, we completed in vivo recording of the activity of cervical sympathetic and vagal nerves, respectively. Finally, the activities of brain regions related to autonomic nerve regulation were assessed by c-Fos immunofluorescence and multichannel recording.

Results: EA at PC6 decreased AF inducibility and prevented changes in HRV caused by ACh-CaCl₂ injection. Meanwhile, EA at PC6 reversed the increased sympathetic and decreased vagal nerve activity in AF rats. Furthermore, EA treatment downregulated increased c-Fos expression in brain regions, including paraventricular nucleus, rostral ventrolateral medulla, and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus in AF, while c-Fos expression in nucleus ambiguus was upregulated with EA.

Conclusion: The protective effect of EA at PC6 on AF is associated with balance between sympathetic and vagal nerve activities.

Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Neiguan point; electroacupuncture; sympathetic nerves; vagal nerves.