针刺对大鼠脊髓损伤后脊髓前角运动神经元功能的影响

目的探讨针刺对脊髓损伤(SCI)大鼠前角运动神经元功能恢复的影响。方法成年雄性SD大鼠60只,改良Allen法压迫致伤T8、T9,随机分为实验组和对照组,伤后分别给予电针刺激大鼠双下肢足三里和悬钟、伏兔和三阴交穴,取治疗2,4,6周伤段脊髓进行PCR扩增和组织切片。利用RT-PCR技术检测伤区脊髓胶质源性神经营养因子(GDNF)mRNA基因体内表达的变化;应用尼氏染色、酶组织化学染色方法观察大鼠SCI后伤区脊髓前角运动神经元存活的数目和乙酰胆碱酯酶(AChE)的变化;采用斜板试验和BBB评分法观察大鼠后肢运动功能恢复情况。结果实验组较对照组AChE活性显著增加(P<0.01);实验组脊髓前角大、中型神经元的数目较对照组明显增加(P<0.05);实验组GDNF mRNA基因体内表达较对照组明显增加(P<0.01);大鼠SCI 3周后针刺治疗组后肢运动功能评分均明显高于对照组(P<0.05)。结论针刺治疗对脊髓损伤后前角运动神经元的功能恢复有一定的促进作用。

Effect of acupuncture therapy on function of the spinal front corner motor neurons following the spinal cord injury in rats

Objective To investigate the effect of acupuncture therapy on functional rehabilitation of spinal front corner motor neurons following spinal cord injury(SCI) in rats.Methods The SCI model was induced by compressing T8/T9 segments of spinal cord in sixty adult SD rats.After SCI,rats were randomly assigned to two groups:experiment group and control group.The rats in experiment group were additionally acupunctured on Zusanli/Xuanzhong and Futu/Sanyinjiaoxu in both hindlimbs after SCI.The specimens of spinal cord were sectioned and taken for PCR amplification.The expression of GDNF mRNA was detected by RT-PCR.The number of alive motor neurons in anterior horn and changes of acetylcholine esterase(AChE) activity were observed using Nissl staining and enzyme histochemical staining.The motor functional recovery of hindlimbs was evaluated using inclined plane test and BBB scoring. Results The activity of AChE in experiment group was significantly higher than that in control group(P<0.01).The expression of GDNF mRNA and the number of motor neurons were also significantly higher in experiment group than that in control group(P<0.05).The functional scales of hindlimbs in experiment group were higher than that in control group after 3 weeks(P<0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture therapy may promote the functional recovery of spinal motor neurons after SCI.