Acupuncture Effect on Cerebral Blood Deletion

Derived from Acute Cerebral Infarction in Rat

Part 1 

Depending on the severity of the cerebral infarction, stroke victims in the United States may very well be confined to a wheelchair or nursing home the remainder of their lives. In contrast, 61% of the patients with massive stroke admitted to a single hospital in China had restoration of faculties enough to return to their pre stroke employment. I had personal involvement working at that hospital. 

It is well known that brain cells die within minutes without adequate blood supply. How does acupuncture restore compromised circulation? I have always been intrigued studying how acupuncture saves the affected brain tissue from death after a massive stroke. In this situation, acupuncture must rapidly and adequately restore blood flow to the affected brain tissue.

A worldwide animal model of stroke researched in rats was used. The rat’s middle cerebral artery, MCA, which is responsible for at least 80 percent of stroke incidence in humans, was severed by red-hot probe cauterization 0.5cm to the Circle of Willis completely and permanently. In so doing, a clear ischemic region was created where the effect of acupuncture could be measured and evaluated. I wanted to determine, if possible, new blood circulation established in the ischemic region when the mainstay is completely severed.

The data below displays the results of the study. 

Fig1. The ischemic region on the right hemisphere appeared on the surface of the rat brain after occluding the MCA. It nearly covered the entire hemisphere.

  Non-acupuncture group

                                                         3h        6h       24h       48h

Fig2. At 3 hours, 6 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours after occlusion of the MCA, only a few vessels were revealed in the non-acupuncture group. These vessels started to appear around longitudinal fissure LF area (between the two hemispheres) in the distribution of the MCA. They appeared to be branches of existing cerebral arteries. These vessels are termed “reactive vessels”. 

  Acupuncture group

Fig3. In the acupuncture group, the reactive vessels become exuberant around LF area at 3 hours. It was obvious that the affected brain tissue was receiving blood from other major brain arteries through MCA endings. The reactive vessels gradually extended into the MCA territory as time went by. Forty-eight hours after occluding the MCA, the affected brain area was covered entirely by reactive vessels. There was a significant difference between the acupuncture group and the non-acupuncture group (P<0.001). 

It appears that all major cerebral arteries are actually connected to each other constructing a cerebral circulative network. This network plays an important role in protecting our brain from ischemic damage on a daily basis. Documentation of the potential for acupuncture to influence this vascular network’s ability for neovascularization had heretofore not been documented. Acupuncture was proven to strongly promote the body’s self-healing potential.

Acupuncture Effect on Ischemic Brain Tissue

Derived from Acute Cerebral Infarction in Rat

Part 2 

Can acupuncture induced new circulation in the ischemic area really save the affected brain tissue from death? The following histochemical study was designed to answer that very question.

Fig4. Normal brain tissue gradually turned a bluish color in N-BT histochemical solution while dead brain tissue remained white. Thirty-six hours after occlusion of the MCA, 9 out of 10 rats in the non-acupuncture group showed massive necrosis of brain tissue involving nearly two-thirds of the cerebral hemisphere (cortical and subcortical).

Fig5. Acupuncture group results were astonishing. The entire ischemic cortex was blue. Only a small area of white necrotic brain tissue remained in the subcortical area, presumably where the collaterals were fewer. There was a statistically significant difference between the acupuncture group and non-acupuncture group (P<0.001). 

The cerebral cortex plays a central role in many complex brain functions including movement, feeling and vision as well as memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought processing, language/speech, and consciousness. This research demonstrates that acupuncture could save cerebral cortical tissue from death. Therefore, acupuncture should be considered in the treatment of acute ischemic attack to minimize permanent brain injury.

Acupuncture Effect on Multi-Organ Damage

Derived from Acute Cerebral Infarction in Rat

Part 3 

The effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of acute cerebral ischemia was demonstrated in Parts 1 & 2; however, the mechanism of how acupuncture worked still remained a mystery. The core of ancient Chinese medicine (ACM) focuses on healing the entire body. Was the effect acupuncture had on the brain a result of healing the whole body? What happens to the body’s major organs during a massive stroke? Research is scant to answer these questions; however, the presence of copious phlegm, loss of appetite and other clinical symptoms suffered by stroke victims point to involvement of the entire body.

The following ultrastructural research intended to discover the relationship between stroke and its impact on the body’s major organs. Furthermore, the effect of acupuncture was evaluated once again at this level in order to explore its mechanism of action.

The Heart of Rat

After closing the MCA, the mitochondria in the heart tissue (the middle photo) were severely swollen and its crista was unclear compared to the normal heart (the left photo). Acupuncture (the right photo) can significantly reduce the damage caused by stroke. Mitochondria, the “cellular power plants”, generate most of a cell’s energy. In addition to supplying cellular energy, mitochondria actively engage in many other critical cellular functions. 

The Lung of Rat

After closing the MCA, the alveoli were filled with mucous (the middle photo) compared to the normal lung tissue (the left photo). This lung pathology could significantly reduce the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. This exchange is extremely important for the entire body to function. Acupuncture partially decreased the mucous (photo on right).

The Stomach of Rat

After occlusion of the MCA (the middle photo), pathology in the stomach appeared to mostly affect gastric parietal cells. Parietal cells secrete hydrochloric acid (HCL). The major component of gastric juice is HCI. It is known that the capacity of the stomach to secrete HCI is almost linearly related to the number of parietal cells. Therefore, parietal cell damage could be the answer for clinical loss of appetite. In the acupuncture group, parietal cell damage was much less (the right photo).

Enlarged Parietal cell in order to show clearly the significant difference among the three groups

The Liver of Rat 1

 Normal rat's liver

Abundant lipid appeared in the liver after occluding the MCA (the right photo). The liver normally produces bile which aids in digestion via the emulsification of lipid; therefore, there was no sigh of the free lipid in the normal liver tissue (photo on right). The presence of lipid indicated liver’s damage induced by the stroke.  

     Stroked rat's Liver

The Liver of Rat 2

The acupuncture group (both photos), revealed absence of lipid as well as liver cells actively engaged in the process of recovery.

 Acupuncture effect

Conclusion

Acupuncture, indeed, can effectively save ischemic brain tissue by promoting rapid compensatory blood flow into the ischemic area. At the same time, acupuncture can heal whole body damage caused by sudden complete occlusion of a major cerebral blood vessel. The mechanisms of action of acupuncture, however, still remain unclear.

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