[Effect of electro-acupuncture on calcium content in neurocytes of focal cerebral ischemia].

Objective: To study the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) in regulating calcium (Ca2+) content in brain neurocytes of rats with focal cerebral ischemia.
Methods: The changes of Ca2+ content in ischemic neurocytes were observed by using laser confocal scanning microscope.
Results: Ca2+ content did not change significantly in cerebral cortex when the brain ischemia occurred for 1 hr, but it raised significantly in striatum neurocytes. Both the Ca2+ contents in striatum and cortex area increased significantly 3 hrs after ischemia occurrence and the content in striatum was higher than that in cortex significantly. Brain Ca2+ content could be reduced significantly after the 3 hrs ischemic brain were treated by EA for 30 min.
Conclusion: EA could regulate the content of Ca2+ in the ischemic area of brain, inhibit Ca2+ overload, so as to protect neurons from ischemic injury.