Objective: To investigate the expression of apoptosis-related proteins Fas and FasL in the brain tissue of rats with traumatic brain injury and the effect of electroacupuncture on the expression of Fas and FasL, so as to explore the effective time window of electroacupuncture in the treatment of traumatic brain injury.
Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into blank group, sham-operation group, model group, and electroacupuncture treatment groups 1, 2, and 3. Traumatic brain injury was induced by the modified Feeney free-fall impact device, and for the rats in the electroacupuncture treatment groups 1, 2, and 3, electroacupuncture started at 4 hours and on days 3 and 7, respectively, after modeling and lasted to day 14. The Morris water maze test was used to evaluate learning and memory ability, and immunofluorescence assay and Western blot were used to observe the changes in the expression of Fas and FasL in traumatic brain tissue.
Results: Compared with the blank group and the sham-operation group, the model group had a lower percentage of time spent in the target quadrant from the 3rd day folowing modeling; after electroacupuncture intervention, the electroacupuncture treatment groups showed a gradual increase in the time spent in the target quadrant, and on day 7,10 and 14, electroacupuncture treatment group 1 had a significantly higher percentage than the model group (P<0.05). On day 14, electroacupuncture treatment group 2 had a significantly higher percentage than the model group (P<0.05). After electroacupuncture intervention, all groups except the blank group and the sham-operation group had increases in the expression of Fas and FasL in brain tissue, which reached the highest level on day 7 after modeling and then tended to decrease; compared with electroacupuncture treatment groups 2 and 3 and the model group, electroacupuncture treatment group 1 had significant reductions in the expression of Fas and FasL (P<0.05, P<0.01); compared with electroacupuncture treatment group 3 and the model group, electroacupuncture treatment group 2 had significant decreases in the expression of Fas and FasL (P<0.05) on day 14 after modeling; compared with the model group, electroacupuncture treatment group 3 had significant reductions in the expression of Fas and FasL in brain tissue on day 14 after modeling (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Early electroacupuncture intervention can regulate the apoptosis receptor pathway by down-regulating Fas and FasL to exert a therapeutic effect on traumatic brain injury and help with the recovery of cognition and memory ability after traumatic brain injury.
目的：观察电针对颅脑损伤大鼠脑组织中细胞凋亡相关基因Fas、FasL表达的影响，探讨电针治疗颅脑损伤的高效时间窗。方法：SD大鼠随机分为空白组，假手术组，模型组，电针1、2、3组。运用改良Feeney自由落体撞击装置造成大鼠颅脑损伤，电针组分别于造模结束后4 h,3、7 d开始电针干预至第14天。采用Morris水迷宫实验检验大鼠学习记忆能力，免疫荧光及Western blot法观察创伤脑组织Fas、FasL表达的变化。结果：与空白组和假手术组比较，从造模后3 d开始模型组大鼠在目标象限停留时间占总时间的百分比降低（P<0.05）；电针1组大鼠造模后7、10、14 d在目标象限停留时间占总时间的百分比高于模型组(P<0.05)，电针2组大鼠造模后14 d在目标象限停留时间占总时间的百分比高于模型组(P<0.05)。与空白组和假手术组比较，模型组大鼠造模后3、7、14 d脑组织中Fas、FasL表达量明显上调(P<0.01)。与模型组比较，电针1组造模后3、7、14 d脑组织中Fas、FasL表达量明显下降(P<0.01)；电针2组造模后7、14 d脑组织中Fas、FasL表达量明显下降(P<0.05)；电针3组造模后14 d脑组织中Fas、FasL表达量明显下降(P<0.05)。与电针1组比较，电针2、3组造模后3、7、14 d脑组织中Fas、FasL表达量明显上升(P<0.05，P<0.01)。与电针2组比较，电针3组造模后7、14 d脑组织中Fas、FasL表达量明显上升(P<0.05)。结论：电针早期干预可通过下调Fas、FasL治疗颅脑损伤，从而有助于颅脑损伤后记忆能力的恢复。.
Keywords: Electroacupuncture; Fas; FasL; Traumatic brain injury.