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. 2021 Aug;11(8):e2286.
doi: 10.1002/brb3.2286. Epub 2021 Aug 1.

Acupuncture ameliorates neurological function in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion by regulating the opening of large-conductance Ca2+ -activated potassium channels

Lin Han  1   2 , Yong Wang  3 , Guanran Wang  1   4 , Yingying Chen  1 , Haiping Lin  1   2 , Yanan Zhang  1   2   5 , Yan Shen  1   2   5
Affiliations

Acupuncture ameliorates neurological function in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion by regulating the opening of large-conductance Ca2+ -activated potassium channels

Lin Han et al. Brain Behav. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Acupuncture has a good effect on improving neurological function after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, but there are few studies on the neuroprotective effect of acupuncture from the perspective of ion channel cellular electrophysiology. Studies have shown that the over activation of large-conductance Ca2+ -activated potassium channel （BKCa） after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion can reduce the excitability of neurons and induce apoptosis. This study intends to establish middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) model, with acupuncture at GV26 as the intervention measure, using patch-clamp technique to record the electrophysiological changes of BKCa channel. The results showed that the neurological function score of MCAO/R rats was significantly decreased, and the conductance, open dwell time and open probability of BKCa channel in hippocampal CA1 neurons of MCAO/R rats were significantly increased. Acupuncture at GV26 could significantly improve the neurological function scores of MCAO/R rats, and reduce the conductance, open dwell time, and open probability of BKCa channel. The effect of acupuncture at GV26 was significantly better than acupuncture at non-acupuncture point. The neuroprotective effect of acupuncture at GV26 after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion may be related to regulating the electrophysiological characteristics of BKCa channel opening.

Keywords: GV26; acupuncture; cellular electrophysiology; cerebral ischemia-reperfusion; large-conductance Ca2+-activated potassium channels (BKCa); patch-clamp.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
A: Location of GV 26 in rats. B: Manipulation of lifting and inserting at GV 26
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Histological changes of hippocampal CA1 in each group of rats ( n = 5) A, F: Normal group B, G: Sham surgery group; C, H: MCAO/R group; D, I: GV26 group; E, F: Non‐acupuncture point group (A, B, C, D, E: HE staining × 100; F, G, H, I, J: HE staining × 400)
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Comparison of neurological function scores in each group (n = 10)
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
A) BKCa channel current curve of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons in control group (concentration of free Ca2+ in extracellular bath solution was 1000 nmol L−1 and concentration of K+ was 140 mmol L−1 both in extracellular bath solution and recording pipette solution). B) BKCa channel current curve when command voltage was +40 mV and there was no free Ca2 + in extracellular bath solution. C) I–V curve of BKCa channel in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons in control group (n = 5). D) Pyramidal neurons in hippocampal CA1 area in healthy rats
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Comparison of BKCa channel conductance of hippocampal CA1 neurons in each group (n = 5)
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Comparison of current amplitude, open probability, and open dwell time in each group (n = 6)
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