EFFECTS OF ELECTROACUPUNCTURE ON C-FOS EXPRESSION IN GERBIL HIPPOCAMPUS DURING TRANSIENT GLOBAL-ISCHEMIA

We studied the effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) on C-FOS expression as well as on the histological changes in various regions of hippocam pus in the gerbil acute global ischemia model. EA was administered at points of 'Feng-fu' and 'Jin-suo' with a frequency of 7 Hz and an inte nsity of 6 mA for 30 minutes. EA can substantially potentiate the indu ction of C-FOS protein like immunoreactivity (CFPLI) in neurons of var ious regions in hippocampus following transient global ischemia, espec ially in the CA1 subfield. At the same time EA can prevent most of the CA1 cells from delayed degeneration after ischemia. These results ind icate that EA has the protective effect on neurons of hippocampus afte r cerebral ischemia and C-FOS may be involved in this process.