Electro-acupuncture upregulates CGRP expression after rat spinal cord transection. Neurochem Int 2012 Dec;61(8):1397-403
Date
10/17/2012Pubmed ID
23068989DOI
10.1016/j.neuint.2012.10.002Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84870295537 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 23 CitationsAbstract
Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) plays a variety of important roles within the nervous system. Increasing CGRP expression could improve the survival of injured neurons and prevent neuronal loss. In this study, we first evaluated in vitro the neuroprotective function of CGRP on mechanically injured cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) of rats. We then verified this result through exogenous administration of CGRP in a spinal cord transected completely in rats. Finally, we investigated the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) on CGRP expression following the spinal cord transected completely in rats. We found that EA can improve CGRP expression, and exogenous CGRP may promote the survival of injured neurons, both in vivo and in vitro. Our results suggest that CGRP may be a specific neuropeptide expressed in GV-EA treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI), and that CGRP may play a neuroprotective role in survival of neurons injured mechanically.
Author List
Li WJ, Li SM, Ding Y, He B, Keegan J, Dong H, Ruan JW, Zeng YSAuthor
John M. Keegan MD Assistant Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AnimalsCalcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
Cells, Cultured
Cerebellum
Combined Modality Therapy
Cordotomy
Drug Implants
Electroacupuncture
Female
Gene Expression Regulation
Lidocaine
Neurons
Neuroprotective Agents
Nociception
Posterior Horn Cells
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Regeneration
Rhizotomy
Spinal Cord
Spinal Cord Injuries
Up-Regulation