Effect of Huatuo Jiaji electro-acupuncture on Bcl-2 mRNA expression in rats with spinal cord injury

To investigate the mechanisms of Huatuo Jiaji electro-acupuncture on spinal cord injury, the healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: the model group, the close wave treated group, the dexameson group and the sham-operation group. The model rats with T_11-12 spinal cord injury were established by the modified Allen's hammer blow method. The expression of bcl-2 mRNA in early spinal cord injury was determined by using in situ hybridization histochemistry. The results showed that the motor function of the injured rats was improved significantly with the treatment in 6 h after being injured than that in 12 h, and the curative effect in the dexameson group was superior to that in the close wave treated group in early spinal cord injury, While in the middle and late periods, the curative effect in the close wave treated group was better than that in the medicated group. Thus the Huatuo Jiaji electro-acupuncture can decrease or inhibit apoptosis by means of up-regulating the bcl-2 mRNA expression.