Effect of electroacupuncture stimulation on expression of angiotensinogen, angiotensin II type 1 receptor, endothelin-1, and endothelin a receptor mRNA in spontaneously hypertensive rat aorta

To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation on the expressions of angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R), endothelin-1 (ET1), and endothelin A receptor (ETAR) mRNA in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) aorta. Eighteen male SHRs were randomly divided into three groups, an SHR group, an SHR Baihui (DU 20) and Zusanli (ST 36) acupoint (SHR-AP) group, and an SHR non-acupoint (SHR-NAP) group, with 6 rats in each group. Six Wistar rats were used as a control. Rats in the SHR-AP group were stimulated by DU 20 and ST 36 acupoints, both of which were connected with EA. EA was handled one time every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, for total 24 times (8 weeks). SHRNAP rats were acupointed at a 15A degrees angle flat into 0.5 cm to two points, which were 1 and 2 cm from rail tip separately. EA parameters were the same as the SHR-AP rats. SHR control rats and Wistar rats were fixed without EA. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to measure AGT, AT1R, ET1, and ETAR mRNA expression in rat aorta. EA stimulation significantly reduced rat aorta vascular AGT, ET1, ETAR and AT1R mRNA expressions in the SHR-AP and SHR-NAP groups (P < 0.01). Among these four genes, AT1R mRNA expression was significantly lower in the SHR-AP than in the SHR-NAP group (P < 0.01). EA could reduce the AT1R mRNA expression in SHR-AP rat aorta, indicating a potential mechanism for the hypotensive effects of EA.