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BACKGROUND: Cytoplasmic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) is a novel strategy and target for the treatment of spinal cord injury. cPLA2 is regulated by RhoA/Rho kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK)/extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) signaling pathways. Electroacupuncture can treat spinal cord injury by regulating the RhoA/Rho kinase and MEK/ERK signaling pathways. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture on the activity of cPLA2 after spinal cord injury by regulating Rho/ROCK (Rho kinase) and MEK/ERK signaling pathways. METHODS: After spinal cord injury modeling and Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan scoring, 72 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into model group, electroacupuncture group, U0126 treatment group and Y27632 treatment group, with 18 rats in each group. Another 18 rats were used as sham operation group, in which only laminectomy was performed without spinal cord impingement. In the electroacupuncture group, Dazhui (GV 14), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), bilateral Ciliao (BL 32) and Zusanli (ST 36) were treated with electroacupuncture, once a day, 20 minutes each time, 14 times in total. Rats in the U0126 and Y27632 treatment groups were given U0126 and Y27362 subdural injection every other day, respectively. At the end of treatment, the rats were sacrificed after Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan scoring, and the spinal cord tissue was collected to detect the content of prostaglandin E2 and platelet activating factor by ELISA. TUNEL assay was used to detect the apoptosis rate of spinal cord nerve cells. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of RhoA, ROCK II, MEK, ERK1/2, p-ERK1/2, cPLA2 and p-cPLA2 in the spinal cord. qRT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of RhoA, ROCK II, MEK, ERK1/2 and cPLA2 in the spinal cord. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the sham operation group, Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan score was significantly decreased in the model group (P < 0.01), while the number of apoptotic cells, the levels of prostaglandin E2 and platelet activating factor, and the expression of p-cPLA2 protein and cPLA2 mRNA in spinal cord tissue were significantly increased in the model group (P < 0.01). After treatment, the above indexes were significantly reversed in all the treatment groups except for the mRNA expression of cPLA2 in the electroacupuncture group (P < 0.01). Compared with the sham operation group, the expression of RhoA, ROCK II, and MEK protein and gene, the mRNA expression of ERK1/2, and the protein expression of p-ERK1/2 were significantly increased in the model group (P < 0.01). After treatment, the above indexes were significantly decreased in the three treatment groups (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). To conclude, electroacupuncture can down-regulate the expression of factors related to Rho/ROCK and MEK/ERK signaling pathways, inhibit the activity of cPLA2, reduce the apoptosis of nerve cells, alleviate inflammatory responses, and finally achieve the therapeutic effect on spinal cord injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that brain function changes after spinal cord injury, and acupuncture treatment has a good effect on incomplete spinal cord injury. Whether acupuncture can affect the remodeling of brain function in patients with spinal cord injury is worth studying. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of "three-tong acupuncture" on brain function in patients with spinal cord injury. METHODS: Twenty spinal cord injury patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into acupuncture treatment group (n=10) and drug treatment group (n=10). Acupoints of Dazhui, Yaoyangguan, Ciliao, Zusanli and etc. were selected and dilatation wave was selected for electroacupuncture which lasted for 30 minutes, once a day. In the drug treatment group, monosialotetrahexosyl ganglioside sodium was intravenously administered with the dose of 60 mg, once a day, 4 weeks as a course, two courses in total, with an interval of 7 days. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, with an approval No. 2014031107. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There was a significant improvement in scores of sensory, motor, daily activity and American Spinal Injury Association grading assessment in the two groups after treatment, but there was no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). The amplitude low-frequency fluctuation of bilateral main sensorimotor cortices of patients in both groups after treatment were significantly increased compared with those before treatment, and the amplitude low-frequency fluctuation of bilateral caudate nucleus after treatment was significantly lower than that before treatment, and there was no significant difference between the two groups after treatment. The regional homogeneity of bilateral anterior and posterior central gyrus and middle temporal gyrus/inferior temporal gyrus between two groups after treatment were significantly higher than those before treatment. The regional homogeneity of bilateral thalamus and caudate nucleus after treatment was significantly lower than that before treatment. There were however no significant difference in the regional homogeneity of these above-mentioned brain areas. The fractional anisotropy of the posterior limb of the internal capsule and the corona radiate after treatment was significantly higher than that before treatment, and the mean diffusivity was decreased compared with that before treatment. There were significant differences in the two groups before and after treatment except for the right radial crown. These findings indicate that “three-tong acupuncture” can improve the remodeling of brain function in patients with spinal cord injury, which may be one of the mechanisms of acupuncture treating spinal cord injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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