Acupuncture protects against cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury via suppressing endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated autophagy and apoptosis

Molecular Medicine

Beng Zhang¹  Xiaowei Sun²  Hao Liu³  Hongtao Li⁴  Xicheng Jiang⁵  Tingting Pan⁶  Tingting Liu⁶  Ying Gao⁶  Xinyu Wang⁶  Zhongren Sun⁷ 

[1] Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shenzhen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China;Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, The First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People’s Republic of China;Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 310012, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China;Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 26 Heping Road, 150040, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People’s Republic of China;Department of Synopsis of the Golden Chamber, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 24 Heping Road, 150040, Harbin, People’s Republic of China;Graduate School, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People’s Republic of China;Key Laboratory of Acupuncture Clinical Neurobiology (Encephalopathy), Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People’s Republic of China;

关键词: Acupuncture;    Cerebral I/R injury;    ER stress;    Autophagy;    Apoptosis;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s10020-020-00236-5

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundAcupuncture treatment possesses the neuroprotection potential to attenuate cerebral ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenic mechanism of cerebral I/R injury. Whether acupuncture protects against cerebral I/R injury via regulating ER stress remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the role of ER stress in the neuroprotection of acupuncture against cerebral I/R injury and its underlying mechanisms.MethodsCerebral I/R injury was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats. Acupuncture was carried out at Baihui (GV 20), and Qubin (GB7) acupoints in rats immediately after reperfusion. The infarct volumes, neurological score, ER stress, autophagy and apoptosis were determined.ResultsAcupuncture treatment decreased infarct volume, neurological score and suppressed ER stress via inactivation of ATF-6, PERK, and IRE1 pathways in MCAO rats. Attributing to ER stress suppression, 4-PBA (ER stress inhibitor) promoted the beneficial effect of acupuncture against cerebral I/R injury. Whereas, ER stress activator tunicamycin significantly counteracted the neuroprotective effects of acupuncture. In addition, acupuncture restrained autophagy via regulating ER stress in MCAO rats. Finally, ER stress took part in the neuroprotective effect of acupuncture against apoptosis in cerebral I/R injury.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that acupuncture offers neuroprotection against cerebral I/R injury, which is attributed to repressing ER stress-mediated autophagy and apoptosis.

【 授权许可】

CC BY