Electroacupuncture at Acupoints Reverses Plasma Glutamate, Lipid, and LDL/VLDL in an Acute Migraine Rat Model: A1H NMR-Based Metabolomic Study

摘要

Background. The objective of this study was to identify potential biomarkers of electroacupuncture (EA) on relieving acute migraine through metabolomic study.Methods. EA treatments were performed on both acupoints and nonacupoints on the nitroglycerin (NTG)-induced migraine rat model. NMR experiments and multivariate analysis were used for metabolomic analysis.Results. The number of head-scratching, the main ethology index of migraine rat model, was significantly increasedP<0.01after NTG injection. The plasma metabolic profile of model group was distinct from that of the control group. Glutamate was significantly increasedP<0.01, whereas lipids were significantly decreasedP<0.01in model rats. After EA at acupoints, the metabolic profile of model rats was normalized, with decreased glutamateP<0.05and increased lipidsP<0.01. In contrast, EA at nonacupoints did not restore the metabolic profile, but with six metabolites significantly different from acupoints group. Interestingly, the number of head-scratching and glutamate level were significantly decreasedP<0.05after receiving EA at both acupoints and nonacupoints.Conclusions. EA at acupoints may relieve acute migraine by restoring the plasma metabolic profile and plasma glutamate, while EA at nonacupoints may modestly relieve acute migraine by decreasing plasma glutamate.