Heart Protective Effects of Electroacupuncture in an Animal Experimental Study with Delayed Fluid Resuscitation after Hemorrhagic Shock

Fluid resuscitation could hardly be performed immediately after fatal hemorrhagic shock in outpatients. We investigated whether electroacupuncture (EA) at Zusanli (ST36) could prevent fatal hemorrhagic shock induced heart failure with delayed fluid resuscitation and whether the protective role of EA is related to the autonomic nervous system. Sixty Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups (n = 12 each): group of sham hemorrhagic shock (SHAM), group of EA, group of sham EA (SEA), group of delayed fluid resuscitation with EA (EA + DR), and group of delayed fluid resuscitation with SEA (SEA + DR). After blood loss for 6 hours, caspase-3 activity and positive rate of TUNEL in EA + DR group were significantly lower than in other hemorrhagic shock groups (e.g., versus SEA + DR: 0.156 ± 0.039 versus 0.301 ± 0.042; P < 0.05). Immediately EA treatment after the blood loss enhanced the protective effect of delayed resuscitation on the cardiac tissue of hemorrhagic shock rats. Considering the significant changes of epinephrine (137.8 ± 6.9 ng/L versus 98.6 ± 7.4 ng/L; P < 0.05) and acetylcholine (405 ± 8.6 pmol/L versus 341 ± 10.1 pmol/L; P < 0.05) after EA treatment (SEA + DR versus EA + DR), this cardiac protective effect may be related to regulation of the autonomic nervous system.