Angiogenesis and improved cerebral blood flow in the ischemic boundary area were detected after electroacupuncture treatment to rats with ischemic stroke

Objectives: Acupuncture has been known to be effective in cerebral ischemia, and promoting angiogenesis is considered as a potential therapy of ischemic stroke. Recent data have also shown that angiogenesis indeed brings benefit to cerebral circulation and behavior improvement. We examined the effect of electroacupuncture on vascular endothelial cell proliferation in the ischemic stroke model. Methods: A local ischemia was induced using the method of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rat. Rats were randomly divided into two groups: the control group (with MCAO) and the electroacupuncture group (with MCAO + electroacupuncture). The vascular endothelial cell (EC) proliferation were stained by double-immunofluorescence labeling method (Ki67 and vWF), region cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured using laser Doppler flowmeter (LDF), and the neurological scores was assessed. Electroacupuncture stimulation was applied to the acupoint GV26 (Shuigou) during the occlusion period. Results: In the control group, the EC proliferation started at 24 hours, was sustained for at least 7 days with a maximum induction at 3 days, decreased thereafter at 7 days, and was absent at 12 days after MCAO. However, EC proliferation started at 12 hours after MCAO in electroacupuncture group, and increased significantly in the number of cells at 1, 2, 3, and 7 days compared with control group (P<0.01). Electroacupuncture increased significantly the rCBF, and reduced markedly the neurological scores compared with control group (P<0.01). Conclusion: This result suggests that the effect of electroacupuncture might be closely associated with promoting angiogenesis in the cerebral ischemic condition.