Electroacupuncture at Quchi and Zusanli treats cerebral ischemia‑reperfusion injury through activation of ERK signaling

Xie,Guanli; Yang,Shanli; Chen,Azhen; Lan,Lan; Lin,Zhicheng; Gao,Yanlin; Huang,Jia; Lin,Jiumao; Peng,Jun; Tao,Jing; Chen,Lidian

doi:10.3892/etm.2013.1030

Electroacupuncture at Quchi and Zusanli treats cerebral ischemia‑reperfusion injury through activation of ERK signaling

Authors:
- Guanli Xie
- Shanli Yang
- Azhen Chen
- Lan Lan
- Zhicheng Lin
- Yanlin Gao
- Jia Huang
- Jiumao Lin
- Jun Peng
- Jing Tao
- Lidian Chen
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Affiliations: College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, P.R. China, College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, P.R. China, MOE Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Osteology and Traumatology and Exercise Rehabilitation, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, P.R. China, MOE Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Osteology and Traumatology and Exercise Rehabilitation, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, P.R. China, Fujian Key Laboratory of Exercise Rehabilitation, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, P.R. China, Fujian Key Laboratory of Exercise Rehabilitation, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, P.R. China, Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, P.R. China
Published online on: March 26, 2013 https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2013.1030
Pages: 1593-1597

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Abstract

The extracellular signal‑regulated kinase (ERK) pathway, a critical mediator of cell proliferation, is activated in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and is therefore a key target in the treatment of ischemic stroke. Acupuncture has long been used in China to clinically treat stroke. However, the precise mechanism of its neuroprotective activities remains largely unknown. In the present study, a focal cerebral I/R‑injured rat model was used to evaluate the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) and investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. EA significantly ameliorated neurological deficits and cerebral infarction in cerebral I/R‑injured rats. Moreover, EA significantly increased the phosphorylation levels of ERK, as well as the protein expression levels of Ras, cyclin D1 and cyclin‑dependent kinase (CDK)4. Consequently, EA-mediated activation of the ERK pathway resulted in the stimulation of cerebral cell proliferation. The present data suggest that EA at the Quchi and Zusanli acupoints exerts a neuroprotective effect in ischemic stroke via the activation of ERK signaling.

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