| Evidence Sentence: |
Effects of Acupuncture at GV20 and ST36 on the Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase 2, Aquaporin 4, and Aquaporin 9 in Rats Subjected to Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), aquaporin (AQP) 4, and AQP9 are linked to permeabilization of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI). |
| Evidence Sentence: |
This study evaluated the hypothesis that acupuncture and electroacupuncture can similarly exert neuroprotective actions in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) by modulating MMP2/AQP4/APQ9 expression and inflammatory cell infiltration. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Neurological function (assessed using the Modified Neurological Severity Score), infarct volume, MMP2/AQP4/AQP9 mRNA and protein expression, and inflammatory cell infiltration were all evaluated at 24 h post-reperfusion. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
group M. However, MMP2/AQP levels and inflammatory cell infiltration were generally higher in groups A and EA than in group ED except MMP2 mRNA levels. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Effects of acupuncture and electroacupuncture on the mRNA expression levels of MMP2, AQP4, and AQP9 |
| Evidence Sentence: |
The mechanistic actions of acupuncture and electroacupuncture were explored by investigating their influence on MMP2, APQ4, and AQP9 mRNA expression. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Groups A, EA, and ED showed no significant inter-group differences between the mRNA expression levels of MMP2, but the mRNA expression levels of AQP4 and AQP9 were significantly lower in edaravone group ED than in groups A and EA. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Colocalization of MMP2 and AQP4 with GFAP and CD34 in the ischemic penumbra |
| Evidence Sentence: |
To evaluate the astrocytic and vascular localization of MMP2 and AQP4 in the ischemic penumbra of CIRI model rats, immunofluorescence analysis was employed using specific primary antibodies against MMP2, AQP4, GFAP (to label astrocytes), and CD34 (to label the endothelial cell components of blood vessels). |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Figure 5 shows colocalization of MMP2 and GFAP (Figure 5A-5C), MMP2 and CD34 (Figure 5D-5F), AQP4 and GFAP (Figure 5G-5I), and AQP4 and CD34 (Figure 5J-5L) in MCAO model group M. These results indicate that AQP4 and MMP2 were both expressed in astrocyte endfeet and endothelial cell-derived blood vessels within the infarct area. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
MMP2, AQP4, and AQP9 protein expression in the ischemic penumbra and the core zone |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Next, we explored the hypothesis that acupuncture and electroacupuncture can regulate MMP2, AQP4, and AQP9 expression in the ischemic penumbra and the core zone by performing an immunohistochemical analysis of target protein expression, followed by semi-quantitative measurement of the integrated optical density of MMP2/AQP4/APQ9 labeling. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Consequently, MMP2, AQP4, and AQP9 expression levels were higher in the ischemic penumbra than in the ischemic core for all five groups of rats (Figure 6A, 6B, 6D, 6E, 6G, and 6H). |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Protein expression levels of MMP2, AQP4, and AQP9 in the lesion boundary zone of the ipsilateral hemisphere |
| Evidence Sentence: |
To further investigate the influence of acupuncture and electroacupuncture on the expression patterns of MMP2, AQP4, and AQP9, Western blotting analysis was used to compare target protein levels in the lesion boundary zone in the five rat groups. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
The Western blotting data (Figure 7) verified the immunohistochemical findings (Figure 6), in that the protein expression levels of MMP2, AQP4, and AQP9 were all significantly higher in group M than in the other four groups (P<0.05). |
