Acupuncture suppresses kainic acid-induced neuronal death and inflammatory events in mouse hippocampus

J Physiol Sci. 2012 Sep;62(5):377-83. doi: 10.1007/s12576-012-0216-9. Epub 2012 Jul 8.

Abstract

The administration of kainic acid (KA) causes seizures and produces neurodegeneration in hippocampal CA3 pyramidal cells. The present study investigated a possible role of acupuncture in reducing hippocampal cell death and inflammatory events, using a mouse model of kainic acid-induced epilepsy. Male C57BL/6 mice received acupuncture treatments at acupoint HT8 or in the tail area bilaterally once a day for 2 days and again immediately after an intraperitoneal injection of KA (30 mg/kg). HT8 is located on the palmar surface of the forelimbs, between the fourth and fifth metacarpal bones. Twenty-four hours after the KA injection, neuronal cell survival, the activations of microglia and astrocytes, and mRNA expression of two proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), were measured in the hippocampus. Acupuncture stimulation at HT8, but not in the tail area, significantly reduced the KA-induced seizure, neuron death, microglial and astrocyte activations, and IL-1β mRNA expression in the hippocampus. The acupuncture stimulation also decreased the mRNA expression of TNF-α, but it was not significant. These results indicate that acupuncture at HT8 can inhibit hippocampal cell death and suppress KA-induced inflammatory events, suggesting a possible role for acupuncture in the treatment of epilepsy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acupuncture Therapy / methods*
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Cytokines / analysis
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Encephalitis / chemically induced
  • Encephalitis / pathology
  • Encephalitis / therapy*
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / pharmacology
  • Hippocampus / chemistry
  • Hippocampus / pathology
  • Hippocampus / physiology*
  • Kainic Acid / pharmacology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neuroglia / drug effects
  • Neuroglia / pathology
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / pathology
  • Seizures / chemically induced
  • Seizures / pathology
  • Seizures / therapy

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists
  • Kainic Acid