Therapeutic effects of different durations of acupuncture on rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion

摘要

Acupuncture is regarded as an effective therapy for cerebral ischemia. Different acupuncture ma-nipulations and durations may result in different therapeutic effects. In the present study, theNeig uan (PC6) acupoint of rats with occluded middle cerebral arteries was needled at a ifxed frequency (3 Hz) with different durations,i.e., 5, 60 and 180 seconds under a twisting-rotating acupuncture method. Results showed that different durations of acupuncture had different therapeutic effects, with 60 seconds yielding a better therapeutic effect than the other two groups. This duration of treatment demonstrated rapid cerebral blood lfow, encouraging recovery of neurological function, and small cerebral infarct volume. Experimental ifndings indicated that under 3 Hz frequency, the treatment of needlingNeiguan for 60 seconds is effective for ischemic stroke.