Intervention effect of electroacupuncture on NF-κBp65 protein of spinal dorsal horn in rats with diabetic neuralgia

  Objective   To observe the effect of electroacupuncture on the nuclear transcription factor κB (nuclearfactorkappaB, NF-κB) p65 protein in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord of rats with diabetic neuralgia (diabeticneuropaticpan, DNP), in order to explore the partial analgesic mechanism of electroacupuncture on diabetic neuralgia.

  Methods Thirty SD rats were divided into normal group (normalgroup) and model by completely random grouping. They were fed with regular diet and high-fat and high-sugar diet for 5 weeks. After 5 weeks, model rats were given a single abdominal cavity. Injecting streptozotocin (STZ), the rats with successful diabetic neuralgia model in the model were further randomly divided into model group (DNPgroup) and model + electroacupuncture group (DNP+EAGrup). The acupoints were selected on both sides. "Zusanli and Kunlun points", with a frequency of 2 Hz and an intensity of 1 mA for 15 minutes, followed by 2 mA for 15 minutes, starting from the 7th week, once a day for 7 interventions. The changes in blood glucose, mechanical pain threshold and thermal pain threshold of each group of rats were observed. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the morphological changes of rat sciatic nerve, and the rat spinal dorsal horn was detected by immunoblotting method. The expression level of NF-κBp65 protein.

  Results After 5 weeks of high-fat and high-sugar feeding, rats were given a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ for 2 weeks. Blood glucose increased, and mechanical pain threshold and thermal pain threshold decreased. This indicated that the model of rat DNP model was successfully established and electroacupuncture could upregulate the mechanism of DNP rats. Pain threshold and thermal pain threshold, but there is no obvious intervention effect on blood sugar. HE staining results show that the sciatic nerve myelinated nerve fibers of DNP rats are arranged disorderly, axonal swelling, myelin density is uneven, vacuole degeneration, electroacupuncture intervention on DNP The morphology of the rat sciatic nerve has no obvious effect. The results of western blotting showed that the expression of NF-κBp65 protein in the spinal dorsal horn of DNP rats was significantly increased, and electroacupuncture could down-regulate the expression of NF-κBp65 protein in the spinal dorsal horn of DNP rats.

  Conclusion  Low-frequency electroacupuncture has a good analgesic effect in DNP model rats, and its effect may be related to its inhibition of the expression of NF-κBp65 protein in the spinal dorsal horn of diabetic DNP rats.