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Abstract
<p class="first" id="d17413861e96">The accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria
induced by the impairment of the autophagy-lysosome
pathway (ALP), especially mitophagy is an important cause of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion
(I/R) injury. Electroacupuncture (EA) exerts remarkable effects in treating ischemic
stroke; however, the detailed mechanism remains unclear. In this study, rats were
treated with mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening inhibitor,
peroxynitrite (ONOO-) scavenger, or selective inhibitor of mitophagy activation during
2-h middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by 24 h of reperfusion in combination
with EA treatment. RNA-Seq analysis showed that EA treatment in cerebral I/R was linked
to the autophagosome, the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and metabolic pathways. We found
that I/R resulted in significantly mitochondrial function impairments including decreased
mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and ATP levels, aggregation of damaged mitochondria,
excessive nitro/oxidative stress, PI3K/Akt/mTOR-mediated ALP dysfunction and deficiency
of Pink1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy clearance. The treatment with EA, cyclosporine-A
(CsA, a potent inhibitor of mPTP opening) or FeTMPyP (a type of ONOO- scavenger) could
significantly increase MMP and/or ATP levels, improve mitochondrial function and decrease
neuronal injury. At the same time, EA also improved ALP dysfunction and the deficiency
of mitophagy clearance; however, mitochondrial division inhibitor-1 (Mdivi-1, a selective
inhibitor of mitophagy activation) blocked mitophagy clearance and aggravated neuronal
injury. Taken together, EA ameliorates nitro/oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial
functional damage and decreases the accumulation of damaged mitochondria via Pink1/Parkin-mediated
mitophagy clearance to protect cells against neuronal injury in cerebral I/R.
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