Abstract: Objective To explore the effect of electroacupuncture at Weizhong (BL40) acupoint on the expression of Bcl-xL and Bax in rats with lumbar disc degeneration. Methods Thirty male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group (n= 10), model group (n=10), and electroacupuncture group (n=10). The lumbar disc degeneration model was established by puncturing the annulus fibrosis in the model group and electroacupuncture group. One month after modeling, the electroacupuncture group was electroacupunctured at Weizhong acupoint for four weeks. HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes. Immunohistochemical staining was used to observe the expression of Bax in the lumbar disc tissue. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of Bcl-xL and Bax protein. Results HE staining showed that the degrees of lumbar disc degeneration from light to severe was ranged as: the sham-operated group, the electroacupuncture group and the model group. The expression of Bcl-xL was lower (P<0.05), and the expression of Bax was higher (P<0.01) in the model group than in the sham-operated group, which was opposite (P<0.01) in the electroacupuncture group than in the model group. Conclusion Electroacuponcture at Weizhong may upregulate the expression of Bcl-xL and downregulate the expression of Bax in rats with lumbar disc degeneration.

Key words: lumbar disc degeneration, electroacupuncture;Weizhong, apoptosis factor, rats