Electroacupuncture at the Quchi and Zusanli acupoints exerts neuroprotective role in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injured rats via activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway

The PI3K/Akt pathway, a critical mediator of cell survival, is suppressed in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury; therefore, it is a major focus in treatment of ischemic stroke. Acupuncture has long been used in China to clinically treat stroke. However, the precise mechanism of its neuroprotective activities remains largely unknown. Using a focal cerebral I/R injured rat model, in the present study we evaluated the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of electroacupuncture and investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms. We found that electroacupuncture at Quchi (LI11) and Zusanli (ST36) acupoints on the contralateral paralyzed limb significantly improved neurological deficits and cerebral infarction. In addition, electroacupuncture profoundly activated PI3K/Akt signaling in ischemic cerebral tissues. Consequently, the upregulatory effect of electroacupuncture on PI3K/Akt activation resulted in the inhibition of cerebral cell apoptosis. Moreover, electroacupuncture increased the serum secretion levels of the PI3K activators BDNF and GDNF, as well as upregulated the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2/Bax ratio in ischemic cerebrum. Our data suggest that electroacupuncture at Quchi and Zusanli acupoints exerts neuroprotective function in ischemic stroke via activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway.