Abstract: Objective To explore the effects of cluster needling of scalp acupuncture combined with rehabilitation (Tang's Approach) onforelimb motor function and expression of synaptophysin and growth-associated protein (GAP-43) in rats after focal cerebral ischemia.Methods Endothelin-1(ET-1) was used to induce focal cerebral ischemia model in rats with forelimb dysfunction. The rats were randomlydivided into 5 groups: sham operation group, model group, rehabilitation group, acupuncture group, and acupuncture with rehabilitationgroup, each group was divided into 4 subgroups by 3 d, 7 d, 14 d, and 21 d. 24 hours after modeling, the cluster needle of scalp point withskilled forelimb reaching was trained in the acupuncture with rehabilitation group, skilled forelimb reaching was trained in the rehabilitationgroup, and the cluster needle of scalp point only were punctured and stimulated in the acupuncture group. But the model group had no intervention.The success rates of forelimb reaching were analyzed and immuno-histochemical technique was used to observe the expression ofsynaptophysin and GAP-43 in cortical ischaemic lesions of the rats in each group at different time points. Results At different time pointsafter the treatment, the successful rate of forelimb reaching in the acupuncture with rehabilitation group was higher than the model group, rehabilitationgroup, and acupuncture group (P<0.05). Conclusion The cluster needling of scalp acupuncture combined with rehabilitationcan promote recovery of forelimb motor function in rats after focal cerebral ischemia, which may associate with the expression of synaptophysinand GAP-43 in cortex surro`unding following focal cortical ischaemic lesions.

Key words: Tang's Approach, cerebral ischemia, forelimb motor function, synaptophysin, growth-associated protein-43, rats