Objective: To explore the mechanism underlying acupuncture regulation of the visual cortex plasticity. Methods: Eighteen kittens of four weeks were randomly divided into 3 groups, a normal group, a model group and an acupuncture group, with six in each group. There was no treatment to those in the normal group. Unilateral eyelid suture method was used to establish the deprivation amblyopia cat model in the model group and the acupuncture group. After that, kittens in the model group didn't receive any treatment, but those in the acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture therapy of 12 weeks. Pattern Visual Evoked Potential (P-VEP) and c-Fos protein expression of visual cortex of kittens in each group were tested before and after acupuncture treatment. Results: P-VEP waveform changed significantly in kittens of the model group, the time value of P 100 was significantly delayed (P<0.01) and N 45 -P 100 amplitude was significantly lower (P<0.01) compared with the normal group. After treatment, the time value of P 100 in kittens of the acupuncture group was significantly shorter (P<0.01) and N 45 -P 100 amplitude was significantly higher (P<0.01) when compared with the model group. Expression of c-Fos positive neurons can be seen in the visual cortex layers II-IV of kittens in the acupuncture group, and the density and percentage of c-Fos immunoreactive neurons of cortex layers II-IV in kittens of the model group were significantly lower than those in the acupuncture group. Conclusion: Acupuncture has obvious improvement for abnormal changes of P-VEP waveform of monocular visual deprivation kittens; it can also increase the c-Fos protein expression in visual cortex after form- deprived.
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