Effect of Electroacupuncture on Experimental Epilepsy： Roles of Different Acupoints and Stimulation Parameters

目的:确定电针对实验性癫痫的抑制效应,探索治疗实验性癫痫的最佳电针条件.方法:在雄性SD大鼠侧脑室注射红藻氨酸以诱导急性实验性癫痫.造模30分钟后,以1 mA/100 Hz和1 mA/10 Hz电针分别在水沟 大椎、筋缩 腰奇、内关 曲池、丰隆 涌泉四组穴位施治,以Racine行为学评分和脑电记录作为疗效评价的方法.结果:行为学评分结果表明:除1 mA/10 Hz电针内关 曲池外,低频(10 Hz)和高频(100 Hz)电针均可抑制实验性癫痫的发作(和对照组比较尸<0.05或0.01);2)在低频电针(10 Hz)治疗组中,丰隆 涌泉穴位的治疗效果优于其他穴位组(P<0.05或0.01);3)高频电针(100 Hz)治疗组中,不同穴位之间的疗效差异不明显;4)总体而言,除筋缩 腰奇穴位组外,高频电针(100Hz)的治疗效果优于低频电针(10 Hz)(P<0.05或0.01).与此同时,脑电图记录也显示出电针具有降低实验性癫痫大鼠脑电频率和幅度等的作用.结论:电针可以减轻实验性癫痫大鼠的癫痫发作,其效应与电针参数和穴位的选择有一定的相关性.

Effect of electroacupuncture on experimental epilepsy: Roles of different acupoints and stimulation parameters

Objective  The strategies against epilepsy are currently very limited. The author performed this work to determine the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on epileptic seizures and define the optimal EA conditions (acupoints and stimulation parameters). Methods  Experimental epilepsy was induced by injecting kainic acid into the lateral cerebral ventricle of adult male SD rats. EA with a current of 1 mA/100 Hz or 1 mA/10 Hz was applied to the model starting at 0.5 h after the injection for 30 min. Four pairs of acupoints were tested, including Renzhong (GV 26) + Dazhui (GV 14), Jinsuo (GV 8) + Yaoqi (Ex-B 9), Neiguan (PC 6) + Quchi (LI 11) and Fenglong (ST 40) + Yongquan (KI 1). Results  Behavioral scores showed that (1) either high (100 Hz) or low (10 Hz) frequency EA at different acupoints attenuated epileptic seizures (P<0.05 or 0.01 vs. the control), except EA at Neiguan (PC 6) + Quchi (LI 11) with 1 mA/10 Hz current; (2) EA with low frequency stimulation (10 Hz) induced a better effect at Fenglong (ST 40) + Yongquan (KI 1) than other acupoints (P<0.05 or 0.01); (3) there was no significant difference in EA effects induced by various acupoints when exposed to high frequency EA (100 Hz); and (4) high frequency EA (100 Hz) elicited a better effect than low frequency EA (10 Hz) in all groups (P<0.05 or 0.01) except for that of Jinsuo (GV 8) + Yaoqi (Ex-B 9). EEG showed the similar tendency, i.e., EA generally reduced the amplitude and frequency of epileptic discharges. Conclusion  Electroacupuncture attenuates epileptic seizures, which is relatively specific to EA parameters and acupoints. Corresponding author: XIA Ying, 53 years old, Associate Professor at Yale University School of Medicine; main research interests: molecular neuroscience and acupuncture mechanisms