[Effect of eye acupuncture on mitophagy in neurons of ischemic cortical brain tissue in rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury based on AMPK/ULK1/FUNDC1 signaling axis].

Authors

Yanpeng Pu, Jingyan Cheng, Zhen Wang, Haoran Chu

Published in

Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion. Volume 46. Issue 7. Pages 1108-1114. Jul 12, 2026. Epub May 09, 2026.

Abstract

To observe the effects of eye acupuncture on neurological deficits and mitophagy in neurons of ischemic cortical brain tissue in rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury (CIRI), and to explore the possible mechanism of eye acupuncture in improving CIRI.
Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group, an eye acupuncture group, and an inhibitor group, with 12 rats in each group. The modified middle cerebral artery occlusion method was used to establish CIRI model in the model group, eye acupuncture group, and inhibitor group. Before modeling, the rats in the sham operation group, model group, and eye acupuncture group were intraperitoneally injected with phosphate-buffered solution, while the rats in the inhibitor group were intraperitoneally injected with Compound C solution (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase [AMPK] inhibitor). After successful modeling, the rats in the eye acupuncture group and inhibitor group received eye acupuncture intervention. Bilateral Shangjiao, Xiajiao, Gan (CO₁₂) and Shen (CO₁₀) were selected, with needles retained for 30 min without manipulation, once every 12 h, for a total of 7 interventions. Longa and Bederson scores were used to evaluate neurological deficits in rats. TTC staining was used to observe cerebral infarction. Nissl staining was used to observe the number of Nissl bodies in cortical brain tissue in the ischemic penumbra area. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructure of neuronal mitochondria in cortical brain tissue in the ischemic penumbra area. Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of AMPK, phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK), unc-51-like autophagy activating kinase 1 (ULK1), phosphorylated unc-51-like autophagy activating kinase 1 (p-ULK1), FUN14 domain containing 1 (FUNDC1), phosphorylated FUN14 domain containing 1 (p-FUNDC1), and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3βⅡ (LC3-Ⅱ).
Compared with the sham operation group, Longa and Bederson scores in the model group were increased (P<0.05), cerebral infarct volume was increased (P<0.05), the number of Nissl bodies in cortical brain tissue in the ischemic penumbra area was reduced (P<0.05), autophagosomes appeared, and the ratios of p-AMPK/AMPK, p-ULK1/ULK1, p-FUNDC1/FUNDC1, as well as LC3-Ⅱ protein expression in cortical brain tissue in the ischemic penumbra area were increased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group and inhibitor group, Longa and Bederson scores in the eye acupuncture group were reduced (P<0.05), cerebral infarct volume was reduced (P<0.05), the number of Nissl bodies in cortical brain tissue in the ischemic penumbra area was increased (P<0.05), a small number of autophagosomes were observed, and the ratios of p-AMPK/AMPK, p-ULK1/ULK1, p-FUNDC1/FUNDC1, as well as LC3-Ⅱ protein expression in cortical brain tissue in the ischemic penumbra area were increased (P<0.05).
The eye acupuncture may improve CIRI by upregulating the AMPK/ULK1/FUNDC1 signaling axis, promoting mitophagy, and alleviating neuronal injury.

PMID:
42443081
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 14 Jul 2026.

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