Electro-acupuncture can alleviate the cerebral oedema of rat after ischemia

Primary objective: This study was designed to determine whether electro-acupuncture (EA) could alleviate cerebral oedema after cerebral ischemia. Research design: EA has been widely used for cerebrovascular disease in East Asian countries. However, whether EA might reduce cerebral oedema after stroke remains unclear. In the current study, diffusion-weighted MRI, which is a reliable method for detecting cerebral oedema, was used to determine whether EA could ameliorate cerebral oedema. Methods and procedures: Twelve rats with induced strokes were divided into two groups: one group with EA treatment (EA group) and one group without EA treatment (non-EA group). Both groups of rats underwent MRI scanning at the same time point following ischemia. Main outcomes and results: Diffusion-weighted imaging showed that the relative apparent diffusion coefficient increased significantly in the cortical and sub-cortical areas of the EA group relative to the non-EA group, indicating that EA can alleviate cerebral oedema after ischemic stroke. Conclusions: Electro-acupuncture can alleviate cerebral oedema in rats following ischemia.