[Effect of electroacupuncture on the proliferation of stem cells in the subependymal zone of the lateral ventricle of the brain in rats with hyperlipemia and cerebral ischemia].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) and acupuncture (A) on the proliferation of stem cells in the subependymal zone (SPZ) of the lateral ventricle and the frontal lobe cortex in hyperlipemia(HL) combined with cerebral ischemia (CI) rats.

Methods: A total of 72 male SD rats were randomized into control, HL, HL+EA, CI, CI+A, HL+CI, HL+CI+EA I and HL+CI+EA II groups (n=9 /group). HL model was established by feeding the animals with high fat forage for 6 weeks and CI model was established by FeCl3-induced occlusion of the unilateral middle cerebral artery. EA was applied to "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) and "Fenglong" (ST 40) once daily for 17 days for HL+ EA group; and acupuncture to "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Shuigou" (GV 26) once daily for 7 days for CI + A group. For HL+CI+EA I group, EA was applied to SP 6 + ST 40 first before CI, once daily for 10 days, followed by EA of SP 6+ST 40 and acupuncture of GV20+GV26 for 7 days after CI. For HL+CI+EA II group, no treatment was given before CI, then, acupuncture of GV 20 + GV 26 and EA of SP 6 + ST 40 were given once daily for 7 days after CI. The immunoactivity of Nestin and proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PONA) of SPZ was detected by immunohistochemistry.

Results: In comparison with normal control group, the numbers of both Nestin and PCNA immunoreaction (IR) positive cells in the dorsolateral extension and the wall of the lateral ventricle of the brain increased significantly in CI and HL+CI groups (P < 0.01). Compared with CI group, the numbers of Nestin and PCNA IR positive cells in the dorsolateral extension and the wall of the lateral ventricle in CI + A group increased considerably (P < 0.01). In comparison with HL+CI group, both Nestin and PCNA IR positive cell numbers in the dorsolateral extension and the wall of the lateral ventricle of the brain in HL+CI+EA I and HL+CI+EA II groups increased significantly (P < 0.01), and the effect of HL+CI+EA I group was markedly superior to that of HL+CI+EA II group in upregulating the numbers of Nestin and PCNA IR positive cells in the aforementioned regions of the lateral ventricle (P < 0.01). No significant differences were found between HL and control groups, and between HL+EA and HL groups in the numbers of Nestin and PCNA IR positive cells in the dorsolateral extension and the wall of the lateral ventricle of the brain (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: EA can upregulate Nestin and PCNA expression of the dorsolateral extension and the wall of the lateral ventricle of the brain on the ischemic side in rats with CI, and with HL+CI, which may contribute to its effects in promoting the proliferation and migration of neural stem cells in the brain.