Electroacupuncture promotes functional improvement after spinal cord transection injury by inhibiting neuroinflammation

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been used to effectively promote the functional improvement of spinal cord injury (SCI), but the underlying mechanism of EA therapy requires further investigation. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the therapeutic effect of EA on spinal cord transection injury and elucidate the mechanisms involved. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), spinal cord conduction velocity (SCCV), paw withdrawal thresholds (PWT), and tail-flick latency (TFL) tests, we found that EA therapy promotes spinal cord reconstruction and the recovery of sensory and electrophysiological functions in rats after spinal cord transection (SCT). In addition, the SCT-induced microglia activation is suppressed, and the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines is reduced following EA treatment. Moreover, EA stimulation depresses the expression of caspase 3 and up-regulates the GAP43 level. Collectively, the present findings demonstrate that EA promotes functional improvement in rats after SCT, accompanied by neuronal regeneration and anti-neuroinflammation activities. These provide biochemical evidence for the mystery of EA efficacy in Chinese traditional therapy and reveal new potential targets for SCT therapy.