Effects of electroacupuncture at du meridian on contents of nitric oxide and endothelin in rats with acute cerebral ischemia

Thirty rats were randomly assigned to three groups, control group (10 cases), acute cerebral ischemia group (10 cases) and electroacupuncture (EA) group (10 cases). The bilateral common carotid arteries were occluded, which caused sharp drop of regional cerebral bloodflow and led acute cerebral ischemia. Contents of nitric oxide (NO) and endothalin (ET) in the cerebral cortex and boold were determined in normal, during occluding and after EA of Du meridian (GV 20, GV 14) point in rats. It was found that in acute cerebral ischemia, the brain contents of NO and ET increased, the plasme level of ET elevated and serum level of NO decreased. After EA of Du meridian point, the levels of ET and NO in the brain and blood were returned significantly to normal. It is suggested that EA at Du meridian have protective effect on neural damage induced by brain ischemia. NO and ET are possibly involved in the regulative effect of EA.