BACKGROUND:Synapsesundergohighlevelsofplasticitywithinthenervoussystem,andcerebralischemiainducessynapticplasticitychanges.OBJECTIVE:Todemonstratetheeffectsofelectroacupunctureonultrastructuralsynapticchangesinthefocalcerebralischemiamarginalzoneinratsusingquantitativeanalysisofstereologicalmeasurement.DESIGN,TIMEANDSETTING:Arandomized,controlled,animalexperimentwasperformedattheExperimentalAnimalCenterandLaboratoryofElectronMicroscopy,GuangzhouUniversityofTraditionalChineseMedicinefromJanuary2008toJanuary2009.MATERIALS:TheG-6805electricacupunctureapparatuswasprovidedbyShanghaiHuayiInstrumentFactory,China.METHODS:Atotalof90male,Wistarratswererandomlyassignedtosham-surgery,model,andelectroacupuncturegroups,with30animalsineachgroup.Eachgroupwassubpidedinto1hour,aswellas1,3,7,and21dayspost-surgerygroups,withsixanimalsassignedtoeachtimepoint.Heatcoagulation-inducedocclusionofthemiddlecerebralarterywasperformedtoestablishamodeloffocalcerebralischemia.Electroacupuncturewasappliedimmediatelyfollowingsurgerytotheelectroacupuncturegroup[4/20Hz,2.0-3.0V,1-3mA,toBaihui(GV20)andDazhui(GV14)]for30minutes.Treatmentwasperformedonceaday,andexperimentalanimalsweresacrificed,at1hour,aswellas1,3,7and21dayspost-surgery.MAINOUTCOMEMEASURES:Atdifferenttimepointsafterintervention,changesinsynapticultrastructure,suchaspostsynapticdensitythickness,synapticcleftwidth,andsynapticinterfacecurvature,wereobservedinthefocalcerebralischemiamarginalzoneinratsthroughtheuseoftransmissionelectronicmicroscopy.RESULTS:Brokensynapseswereobservedfollowingcerebralischemia,andthenumberofsynapseswassignificantlydecreased.Comparedtothemodelgroup,synapticultrastructurewassignificantlyimprovedintheelectroacupuncturegroup.Comparedtothesham-surgerygroup,postsynapticdensitythicknesswassignificantlydecreased,asweresynaptic
