[Effect of electroacupuncture on plasma endogenous endothelial progenitor cell counts in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on peripheral blood endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) counts, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level and total nitric oxide synthase (TNOS) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CI/RI) rats.

Methods: A total of 72 male rats were randomly and evenly assigned to normal control, sham-operation (sham), model and EA groups which were further divided into 24 h, 48 h and 72 h subgroups, with 6 cases in each. Acute focal cerebral ischemia model was established by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO, 120 min) and reperfusion. EA (2/15 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to "Quchi" (LI 11) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) for 30 min, once daily. Peripheral blood was collected from abdominal aorta for detecting EPC count by using flow cytometry, serum VEGF level by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and serum TNOS and iNOS activity by spectrophotometry, respectively.

Results: Compared with the corresponding normal control subgroups, blood EPC counts, serum TNOS and INOS activity and serum VEGF content at 24 h, INOS activity and VEGF level at 48 h, and EPCs and INOS at 72 h in model subgroups all increased significantly (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). In comparison with the corresponding model subgroups, EPC count at 24 h and 72 h, and TNOS activity at 24 h in EA subgroups decreased considerably (P < 0.01, P < 0.05); while EPC and VEGF levels at 48 h in EA subgroup increased evidently (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). No significant differences were found among normal, sham, model and EA subgroups in serum TNOS activity at 48 h and 72 h (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: EA of LI 11 and ST 36 can suppress CI/ RI induced increase of blood EPC count and serum TNOS activity, and upregulate serum VEGF level, which may contribute to its effect in relieving CI/RI.