Influences of Electroacupuncture on the Expression of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Following Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Monkeys

It is known that electro-acupuncture (EA) has neuroprotective effects on cerebral ischemia, however, whether insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) as a potent nerve regeneration agent involved is unknown. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of EA against cerebral ischemia whether influence IGF-1 expression following the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in monkeys. The results indicated that after occlusion of MCA, the IGF-1mRNA and protein expression was down-regulated. EA, given 15 minutes after occlusion of MCA and lasted for 1h between the acupuncture points Baihui Point (GV. 20) and Renzhong Point (GV. 26) with a dense-sparse waveforms, which can be transformed into each other when dense or sparse wave is terminated, attenuated brain edema, decreased the infarct area, up-regulated IGF-1mRNA and protein expression. These results implied that EA is effective to extenuate cerebral ischemic injuries and up-regulating the endogenous IGF-1 expression following MCA occlusion in monkeys, which might be an important mechanism of neuroprotective effects of EA against cerebral ischemia.