Protective Effect of Electroacupuncture and Ischemic Preconditioning on the Circulatory Function in Pigs with Ischemia/Reperfusion Myocardial Injury

Objective: To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture and ischemic preconditioning (IPC) on circulatory function in pigs with myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. Method: Eighteen pigs with myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury were randomly allocated into three groups, 6 in each. Group I was the control group, group II was the group that received IPC, and group III was that received both electroacupuncture and IPC. Blood malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), creatine phos-phokinase (CPK) and its isoenzyme (CK-MB), coronary artery flow and myocardial heat-shock protein (HSP) mRNA expression were detected for evaluation. Results: After treatment, the MDA content was decreased and SOD activities increased significantly in the acupuncture and IPC group compared with the control group (P<0. 05 respectively). The levels of CPK, CK-MB at 20, 60 min after reperfusion were significantly higher than those before treatment, but the levels in group III and group n were remarkably lower than