Electroacupuncture brain protection during ischemic stroke: A role for the parasympathetic nervous system.

ABSTRACT: The demand for using parasympathetic activation for stroke therapy is unmet. In the current study, we investigated whether the neuroprotection provided by electroacupuncture (EA) in an experimental stroke model was associated with activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The results showed that parasympathetic dysfunction (PD), performed as unilateral vagotomy combined with peripheral atropine, attenuated both the functional benefits of EA and its effects in improving cerebral perfusion, reducing infarct volume, and hindering apoptosis, neuronal and peripheral inflammation, and oxidative stress. Most importantly, EA rats showed a dramatically less reduction in the mRNA level of choline acetyltransferase, five subtypes of muscarinic receptors and α7nAChR, suggesting the inhib

SUBMITTER: Chi L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5851138 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature