Effect Of ERK Signal Transduction Pathway And Differentiation And Proliferation Of Neural Stem Cells By Electroacupuncture Ren And Du Meridians In Brain Ischemia Rats

Objective: To study the ERK signal transduction pathway and neural stem cellsproliferation and differentiation in brain ischemia rat treated with electroacupuncture atRen and Du meridians.Methods: Wistar rats, Male, were divided into 6 groups randomly: Normal controlgroup, Sham Operation group, MCAO group, Electroacupuncture Du Meridian group (D),Electroacupuncture Ren and Du Meridians group (RD), Electroacupuncture Ren and DuMeridians group +PD98059 group (RDP). 6 rats in Normal group, 12 rats in RDP groupwere averagely divided into 7 days group and 14 days group at random, 18 rats in the othergroups were averagely divided into 7 days group,14 days group and 28 days group atrandom. ERK expression and phosphorylation on ischemic lateral cerebral ventricle andhippocampus dentate gyrus in MCAO rats were detected by Western Blot. BrdU positivecell and BrdU/Nestin double labeled cell expression on ischemic lateral cerebral ventricle,GFAP positive cell and GFAP/NSE double labeled cell expression on ischemichippocampus dentate gyrus were detected by immunocyleochemistry method, laserconfocal microscopy and fluorescence microscopy.Results: 1, The ERK1/2 expression on ischemic lateral cerebral ventricle andhippocampus dentate gyrus in D group had no change, but the ERK phosphorylation wassignificantly enhanced. Compared with D group, the ERK1/2 expression on ischemiclateral cerebral ventricle and hippocampus dentate gyrus in RD group was boosted after 14 days. It implies that electroacupuncture Ren and Du Meridians can activate the ERK signaltransduction pathway in ischemic lateral cerebral ventricle and hippocampus dentate gyrus,contributing to the differentiation and proliferation of the cells.2, The ERK1/2 phosphorylation in ischemic lateral cerebral ventricle andhippocampus dentate gyrus in RD group was boosted after 7 days, which could be blockedby PD98059. Compared with D group, the ERK1/2 phosphorylation in ischemic brain inRD group had a significant boost. It implies that there is synergistic effect betweenelectroacupuncture Ren and Du Meridians in the ERK signal transduction pathwayactivation after ischemia.3, The BrdU expression enhanced, while the number of BrdU/Nestin labeled cellsaccrescenced in D group. Compared with D group, the BrdU labeled cells and theBrdU/Nestin double labeled cells in ischemic lateral cerebral ventricle increased in RDgroup.4, Electroacupuncture Du Meridian could attenuate the GFAP expression, whileincreased the BrdU/Nestin double labeled cells after ischemia. Compared with D group,the GFAP labeled cells increased slightly, while the GFAP/NSE double labeled cells got adistinguished increase in RD group. It implies that electroacupuncture Ren and DuMeridians can restrain the excess proliferation of hippocamp horizontal cells after ischemiawhile enhance the cell differentiation.Conclusions: ERK signal transduction pathway in MCAO rats can be activated byelectroacupuncture Ren and Du meridians, which can promote the proliferation anddifferentiation of neural stem cell in MCAO rats.