针刺对多发梗塞性痴呆大鼠海马nNOS mRAN及蛋白表达的影响

目的:探讨针刺治疗血管性痴呆的作用机理。方法:通过栓子注入法制作多发梗塞性痴呆模型,随机分为模型组、针刺组和非穴组,并设正常组和假手术组作对照。应用原位杂交和免疫组化的方法检测痴呆大鼠海马区神经元型一氧化氮合酶(nNOS)的基因表达情况,并分析针刺的干预作用。结果:与正常组比较,模型组大鼠海马nNOS mRNA及蛋白表达增强(P<0.01),针刺可明显下调其表达水平(P<0.01)。假手术组与正常组以及非穴组与模型组比较均无显著性差异(P>0.05)。结论:针刺对血管性痴呆的神经保护机制可能与降低海马区nNOS的过度表达、减轻NO神经毒性有关,且具有腧穴特异性。

Effect of Acupuncture on Hippocampal nNOS mRNA Expression and nNOS Activity in Rats with Multi-infarct Dementia

Objective: To explore the underlying mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of vascular dementia(VD).Methods: A total of 28 male rats were randomized into normal group(n=6),sham-operation group(n=6),model group(n=5),acupuncture group(n=6) and non-acupoint group(n=5).Cerebral multi-infarct VD model was established by injecting blood emboli into the internal carotid artery."Tanzhong"(CV 17),"Zhongwan"(CV 12),"Qihai"(CV 6),bilateral "Xuehai"(SP 10),bilateral "Zusanli"(ST 36) and bilateral non-acupoints(at hypochondrium) were punctured respectively,once daily,18 times altogether(3 weeks).The nNOS mRNA expression and nNOS activity were assayed by using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical methods separately.Results: Both in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical assays displayed that in comparison with normal group,the integral optic density(IOD) values of nNOS mRNA and nNOS of hippocampal tissue in VD model group and non-acupoint group were significantly bigger(P<0.01,0.05);and the IOD values of these two indexes of acupuncture group were significantly lower than those of model group(P<0.01);no significant differences were found among normal,sham-operation and acupuncture groups,and between non-acupoint and model groups in the IOD values(P>0.05),suggesting that acupuncture could significantly down-regulate the elevated expression of hippocampal nNOS mRNA and nNOS in VD rats,and the effect of acupuncture of the abovementioned acupoints was markedly superior to that of non-acupoints.Conclusion: Acupuncture can markedly inhibit cerebral infarction induced over expression of hippocampal nNOS mRNA and nNOS,which may contribute to its effect in protecting cerebral neurons from injury and improving learning competency in multi-infarct VD rats.