Thoracic Jia-Ji electro-acupuncture mitigates low skeletal muscle atrophy and improves motor function recovery following thoracic spinal cord injury in rats

Am J Transl Res, 2022 · DOI: · Published: November 30, 2022

Alternative Medicine Neurology Rehabilitation

Simple Explanation

This study investigates the potential of electro-acupuncture (EA) to protect motor endplates, reduce muscle atrophy, and improve functional recovery in rats with spinal cord injuries (SCI). The experiment involved dividing rats into three groups: a sham group, an SCI group, and an EA + SCI group, with the EA + SCI group receiving electro-acupuncture treatment. EA treatment involved applying electrical stimulation to specific acupoints (T9 and T10 Jiaji) on the rats for 30 minutes daily over 28 days. Researchers then evaluated motor function, electrophysiological function, muscle atrophy, and inflammatory responses to determine the effectiveness of EA. The findings suggest that EA can preserve the motor endplate, reduce muscular atrophy, improve neuron function, reduce glial scar formation, suppress systemic inflammation, and enhance axon regeneration. These results indicate that EA may be a viable therapeutic approach for SCI.

Study Duration

28 days

Participants

30 Sprague-Dawley adult female rats

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
EA significantly prevented motor endplate degeneration and improved electrophysiological function after SCI.
2
EA ameliorated hindlimb muscle atrophy after SCI and upregulated Tuj-1 expression.
3
EA downregulated GFAP expression, reduced glial scar formation, and reduced inflammatory response in the serum of SCI rats.

Research Summary

This study aimed to determine whether EA stimulation to rats with spinal cord injuries might protect the motor endplate, minimize muscle atrophy in the hindlimbs, and enhance functional recovery. The EA + SCI group showed lower BBB scores than the sham group at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days (P < 0.001). On these time points, the BBB scores in the EA + SCI group were somewhat higher than those in the SCI group (P < 0.05) In conclusion, the results showed that EA at EX-B2 could protect the motor endplate, reduce muscle atrophy of the hindlimbs, and recover the motor function after SCI.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Potential

EA shows promise as a therapeutic intervention for spinal cord injury, potentially improving motor function and reducing muscle atrophy.

Neuroprotection

EA may offer neuroprotective effects by preserving motor endplates, promoting axon regeneration, and reducing glial scar formation.

Inflammation Management

EA may help manage systemic inflammation following SCI, potentially contributing to improved recovery outcomes.

Study Limitations

1
The study was conducted on rats, and the results may not be directly applicable to humans.
2
The specific mechanisms by which EA exerts its effects are not fully elucidated.
3
The study focused on a specific EA protocol (frequency, duration, acupoints), and other protocols may yield different results.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Alternative Medicine