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Objective <p>To investigate whether electroacupuncture (EA) combined with exercise training (ET) can promote functional recovery in rats with spinal cord injury by regulating absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis.</p> Methods <p>Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a sham operation group (Sham group), a spinal cord injury model group (SCI group), and an EA combined with ET group (EA + ET group) by a randomized control method, with 10 rats in each group. Spinal cord injury rat models were prepared in the other two groups, except the Sham group. Rats in the EA + ET group underwent EA therapy at Jiaji (EX-B2) points 24 h after modeling, while therapy was not performed for rats in the other two groups. The neuromotor function of rats was scored before and after the intervention; hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to detect histopathological changes of spinal cords; terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) was used to detect neuronal apoptosis in spinal cord tissues; the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Western blotting and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to detect the protein and mRNA expression levels of AIM2, cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1 (Caspase-1), gasdermin D (GSDMD), IL-18, and IL-1β in spinal cord tissues.</p> Results <p>The Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) score of rats in the SCI group was significantly lower than that in the Sham group, and the apoptosis rate of spinal cord neurons, serum IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β levels, and the protein and mRNA expression levels of AIM2, Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-18, and IL-1β in spinal cord tissues were higher than those in the Sham group (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). The BBB score of rats in the EA + ET group was significantly higher than that in the SCI group, and the neuronal apoptosis rate, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β, and the protein and mRNA expression levels of AIM2, Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-18, and IL-1β in spinal cord tissues were significantly lower than those in the SCI group (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05).</p> Conclusion <p>EA combined with ET can reduce inflammatory reactions, neuronal apoptosis, and the degree of spinal cord injury, thereby restoring motor function. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of AIM2 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis.</p>

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Electroacupuncture combined with exercise training promotes functional recovery in spinal cord injury rats by regulating AIM2 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月23日

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  • Xiaoqian Lu,
  • Ruqian Liu,
  • Rui Wu,
  • Changhong Li,
  • Xue Lin,
  • Aiju Zhang

摘要

Objective

To investigate whether electroacupuncture (EA) combined with exercise training (ET) can promote functional recovery in rats with spinal cord injury by regulating absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis.

Methods

Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a sham operation group (Sham group), a spinal cord injury model group (SCI group), and an EA combined with ET group (EA + ET group) by a randomized control method, with 10 rats in each group. Spinal cord injury rat models were prepared in the other two groups, except the Sham group. Rats in the EA + ET group underwent EA therapy at Jiaji (EX-B2) points 24 h after modeling, while therapy was not performed for rats in the other two groups. The neuromotor function of rats was scored before and after the intervention; hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to detect histopathological changes of spinal cords; terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) was used to detect neuronal apoptosis in spinal cord tissues; the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Western blotting and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to detect the protein and mRNA expression levels of AIM2, cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1 (Caspase-1), gasdermin D (GSDMD), IL-18, and IL-1β in spinal cord tissues.

Results

The Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) score of rats in the SCI group was significantly lower than that in the Sham group, and the apoptosis rate of spinal cord neurons, serum IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β levels, and the protein and mRNA expression levels of AIM2, Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-18, and IL-1β in spinal cord tissues were higher than those in the Sham group (P<0.05). The BBB score of rats in the EA + ET group was significantly higher than that in the SCI group, and the neuronal apoptosis rate, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β, and the protein and mRNA expression levels of AIM2, Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-18, and IL-1β in spinal cord tissues were significantly lower than those in the SCI group (P<0.05).

Conclusion

EA combined with ET can reduce inflammatory reactions, neuronal apoptosis, and the degree of spinal cord injury, thereby restoring motor function. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of AIM2 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis.