Effects Of Electroacupuncture At Different Acupoints On The Histomorphology Of Neurogenic Bladder And The Expression Of Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels In Interstitial Cells Of Cajal In A Rat Model Of Suprasacral Spinal Cord Injury

Background: To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture at different acupoints on the histomorphology of neurogenic bladder and the expression of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotidegated (HCN) channels in interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in a rat model of suprasacral spinal cord injury (SCI).Methods: A incomplete suprasacral SCI rat model was induced using a MASCIS impactor. Rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, SCI model group, Ciliao treatment group or Guanyuan treatment group. The histomorphology of bladder cells was observed after hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of bladder tissue sections. The expression of HCN channel proteins in ICC cells was detected by western blot and immunofluorescence, and HCN channel mRNA expression was measured using real-time PCR.Results: In terms of histomorphology, the level of bladder cells after SCI increased significantly, and marked inflammation and edema were observed. Electroacupuncture treatment at the Ciliao acupoint significantly reduced inflammation and edema, whilst electroacupuncture treatment at the Guanyuan point partially reduced inflammation and edema. In terms of HCN channel protein and mRNA expression, western blotting, immunofluorescence and real-time PCR all confirmed that HCN channel expression after SCI was significantly upregulated, while electroacupuncture treatment at the Ciliao and Guanyuan acupoints inhibited HCN channel expression.Conclusions: Electroacupuncture treatment at the Ciliao acupoint significantly reduced histomorphological abnormalities in ICCs, and inhibited the expression of HCN channel proteins after SCI.