Electroacupuncture induces acute changes in cerebral cortical mi RNA profile, improves cerebral blood flow and alleviates neurological deficits in a rat model of stroke

Electroacupuncture has been shown to improve cerebral blood flow in animal models of stroke. However, it is unclear whether electroacupuncture alters mi RNA expression in the cortex. In this study, we examined changes in the cerebral cortical mi RNA profile, cerebral blood flow and neurological function induced by electroacupuncture in a rat model of stroke. Electroacupuncture was performed at Renzhong（GV26） and Neiguan（PC6）, with a frequency of 2 Hz, continuous wave, current intensity of 3.0 m A, and stimulation time of 1 minute. Electroacupuncture increased cerebral blood flow and alleviated neurological impairment in the rats. mi RNA microarray profiling revealed that the vascular endothelial growth factor signaling pathway, which links cell proliferation with stroke, was most significantly affected by electroacupuncture. Electroacupuncture induced changes in expression of rno-mi R-206-3p, rno-mi R-3473, rno-mi R-6216 and rno-mi R-494-3p, and these changes were confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Our findings suggest that changes in cell proliferation-associated mi RNA expression induced by electroacupuncture might be associated with the improved cerebral blood supply and functional recovery following stroke.

Moxibustion pretreatment inhibits RhoA/ROCK signaling to prevent lung inflammation in asthmatic rats

Objective:To determine whether pretreatment moxibustion prevents asthma by down-regulating the lung RhoA/ROCK pathway in rats with bronchial asthma and benignly mediating the lung inflammatory response.Methods:Twenty Sprague Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into normal control group(C),asthma model group(M),suspended moxibustion 40 min+asthma group(SM40),and suspended moxibustion 10 min+asthma group(SM10).Ovalbumin was used as a sensitizer.The two moxibustion groups completed moxibustion treatment lasted 40 min or 10 min respectively 30 min before modeling onset,and was repeated five times in each modeling cycle,for a total of 15 times.Samples were harvested on day 30.Results:Lung impairment was significant in the M group,whereas pretreatment with SM10 and SM40 dramatically attenuated the injury.After modeling,mRNA expression of RhoA and ROCK2 in the lung tissue was significantly higher than that in C group(both P<0.001),resulting in significant increase in protein levels of IL-17 A(P<0.001).Significant decrease in RhoA and ROCK2 mRNA expression was seen in the SM10(P<0.001,P<0.01)and SM40(both P<0.001)groups compared to that with M rats.The differential trend in the SM40 group was more evident than that in the SM10 group.Regarding IL-10 or IL-17 A protein concentration,an upregulation or down-regulation was observed in both SM10(P<0.05,P<0.01)and SM40 groups(both P<0.001)compared to that with the M group.Conclusions:Moxibustion pretreatment significantly prevented pulmonary inflammation in asthmatic rats,potentially via inhibition of the RhoA/ROCK pathway.The efficacty of moxibustion appeared to be significantly associated with the duration of intervention with moxibustion.