Open Access

Electroacupuncture protects against ischemic stroke by reducing autophagosome formation and inhibiting autophagy through the mTORC1-ULK1 complex-Beclin1 pathway

  • Authors:
    • Weilin Liu
    • Guanhao Shang
    • Shanli Yang
    • Jia Huang
    • Xiehua Xue
    • Yunjiao Lin
    • Yi Zheng
    • Xian Wang
    • Lulu Wang
    • Ruhui Lin
    • Jing Tao
    • Lidian Chen
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: December 7, 2015     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2015.2425
  • Pages: 309-318
  • Copyright: © Liu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

In a previous study by our group, we demonstrated that electroacupuncture (EA) activates the class I phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway. There is considerable evidence that the downstream mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) plays an important role in autophagy following ischemic stroke. The aim of the present study was to determine whether EA exerts a neuroprotective effect through mTORC1-mediated autophagy following ischemia/reperfusion injury. Our results revealed that EA at the LI11 and ST36 acupoints attenuated motor dysfunction, improved neurological deficit outcomes and decreased the infarct volumes. The number of autophagosomes, autolysosomes and lysosomes was decreased following treatment with EA. Simultaneously, the levels of the autophagosome membrane maker, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta (LC3B)Ⅱ/Ⅰ, Unc-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1), autophagy related gene 13 Atg13) and Beclin1 (ser14) were decreased, whereas mTORC1 expression was increased in the peri-infarct cortex. These results suggest that EA protects against ischemic stroke through the inhibition of autophagosome formation and autophagy, which is mediated through the mTORC1-ULK complex-Beclin1 pathway.
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February-2016
Volume 37 Issue 2

Print ISSN: 1107-3756
Online ISSN:1791-244X

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Spandidos Publications style
Liu W, Shang G, Yang S, Huang J, Xue X, Lin Y, Zheng Y, Wang X, Wang L, Lin R, Lin R, et al: Electroacupuncture protects against ischemic stroke by reducing autophagosome formation and inhibiting autophagy through the mTORC1-ULK1 complex-Beclin1 pathway. Int J Mol Med 37: 309-318, 2016
APA
Liu, W., Shang, G., Yang, S., Huang, J., Xue, X., Lin, Y. ... Chen, L. (2016). Electroacupuncture protects against ischemic stroke by reducing autophagosome formation and inhibiting autophagy through the mTORC1-ULK1 complex-Beclin1 pathway. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 37, 309-318. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2015.2425
MLA
Liu, W., Shang, G., Yang, S., Huang, J., Xue, X., Lin, Y., Zheng, Y., Wang, X., Wang, L., Lin, R., Tao, J., Chen, L."Electroacupuncture protects against ischemic stroke by reducing autophagosome formation and inhibiting autophagy through the mTORC1-ULK1 complex-Beclin1 pathway". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 37.2 (2016): 309-318.
Chicago
Liu, W., Shang, G., Yang, S., Huang, J., Xue, X., Lin, Y., Zheng, Y., Wang, X., Wang, L., Lin, R., Tao, J., Chen, L."Electroacupuncture protects against ischemic stroke by reducing autophagosome formation and inhibiting autophagy through the mTORC1-ULK1 complex-Beclin1 pathway". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 37, no. 2 (2016): 309-318. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2015.2425