Downregulation of nitric oxide by electroacupuncture against hypoxic‑ischemic brain damage in rats via nuclear factor‑κB/neuronal nitric oxide synthase

Liu,Yichen; Li,Weiguang; Hu,Linyan; Liu,Ying; Li,Baoquan; Sun,Changqing; Zhang,Chenggang; Zou,Liping

doi:10.3892/mmr.2014.2879

Downregulation of nitric oxide by electroacupuncture against hypoxic‑ischemic brain damage in rats via nuclear factor‑κB/neuronal nitric oxide synthase

Authors:
- Yichen Liu
- Weiguang Li
- Linyan Hu
- Ying Liu
- Baoquan Li
- Changqing Sun
- Chenggang Zhang
- Liping Zou
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Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, P.R. China, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center of PLA, Beijing 100850, P.R. China, Department of Pediatrics, 159th Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Zhumadian, Henan 463000, P.R. China
Published online on: November 6, 2014 https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2014.2879
Pages: 837-842
Copyright: © Liu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY_NC 3.0].

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Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the role of nitric oxide (NO) against perinatal hypoxic‑ischemic brain damage (HIBD) in rats by electroacupuncture (EA) and to examine its potential neuroprotective mechanism. NO content, the number of positive cells, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) in rat cortex cells were determined. The results demonstrated that treatment with EA significantly downregulated the NO content in the cortex cells (*P<0.05, **P<0.01, compared with the control groups) and alleviated cell damage in the cortex of rats with HIBD. The activator, S‑adenosyl‑L‑methionine and the inhibitor, hydroxylamine of cystathionine‑β‑synthase (CBS), aggravated and remitted the hypoxic damage in the cortex cells, respectively. In addition, treatment with EA significantly downregulated the expression of nNOS and NF‑κB in the rat cortex cells (*P<0.05, **P<0.01, compared with the control groups). The results also indicated that treatment with EA downregulated the NO content of cortical cells against HIBD via the NF‑κB/nNOS pathway and further implied that the hydrogen sulfide/CBS system may be involved in the process. The present study provided a significant reference for the prevention and treatment of HIBD using the EA technique and also described a novel protective mechanism.

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