The Improvement of the Behavioral Ability of MCAO Rats by Running Wheel Training Combined with Electroacupuncture Intervention
YANG Kun
XU Mingjun
ZHANG Guangzhi
Abstract：Objective:To explore the effect of running wheel training combined with electroacupuncture intervention on the improvement of behavioral ability of middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)rats.Methods:A total of 40 male Wistar rats without specific pathogen(SPF)grade were selected and divided into normal group,model group,running wheel group,and combined group,10 in each group.MCAO model was established for all the rats except the normal group.After modeling,the normal group and the model group were not interfered,the running wheel group was treated with positioning wheel turbine,and the combined group was treated with electroacupuncture on the basis of running wheel.The intervention lasted for 4 weeks.The volume of cerebral infarction was evaluated by 2,3,5-triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride(TTC)method.The morphological characteristics of brain tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining,and the apoptosis of nerve cells was detected by terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase(TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL)staining.Western Blot assay was used to detect calmodulin(CaM),calmodulin dependent protein kinase Ⅱ(CaMKⅡ),cyclic adenosine phosphate response element binding protein(CREB),and PCR was used to detect brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)and basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF).Results:Compared with model group,the cerebral infarction area of rats in running wheel group decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the running wheel group,the cerebral infarction size of rats in the combined group decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with normal group,the apoptosis of neurons in model group increased,paw withdraw ther-mal latency(PWTL),paw withdrawal threshold(PWT),CaMKⅡ protein expression,CREB protein expression,BDNF mRNA expression,bFGF mRNA expression,and CaM protein expression decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with model group,apoptosis rate and CaM protein expression decreased,PWTL,PWT,CaMKⅡ protein expression,CREB protein expression,BDNF mRNA expression,and bFGF mRNA expression increased in running wheel group(P＜0.05).Compared with the running wheel group,the apoptosis rate and CaM protein expression of nerve cells in the combined group decreased,and PWTL,PWT,CaMKⅡ protein expression,CREB protein expression,BDNF mRNA expression,and bFGF mRNA expression increased(P＜0.05).HE staining showed that the cerebral cortex of the normal group was intact.In the model group,the cerebral cortex was seriously damaged,the cells showed swelling,vacuolar degeneration,and interstitial edema and obvious contraction.The adverse phenomena in both the running group and the combined group were improved,and the combined group showed the most significant change.Conclusion:Running wheel training combined with electroacupuncture can improve the behavioral ability of MCAO,and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting neuronal apoptosis,regulating neurotrophic factors and Ca2+/CaMKⅡ/CREB signaling pathway.
Keywords：middle cerebral artery occlusionelectroacupuncturerunning wheel trainingneurocyte apoptosisneurotrophic factors
Publication Date：2026-03-10
Online Publishing Date：2026-03-24(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：7( 690-696 )