Effect of acupuncture on nitric oxide synthase expression in cerebral cortex of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Effect of acupuncture on the expressions of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and neuronal NOS (nNOS) in the cerebral cortex of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats was investigated. Animals were divided into four groups; the control group, the nondiabetic and acupunctured group, the STZ-induced-diabetes group, and the STZ-induced diabetic and acupunctured group. To produce the diabetic animal model, a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (50 mg/kg) was given to each animal; animals of the nondiabetic groups received equivalent amounts of normal saline, also via intraperitoneal injection. From the results, acupuncture was shown to increase the numbers of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase-positive and nNOS-positive neurons in STZ-induced diabetic rats. From the present study, it may be suggested that acupuncture modulates NOS and nNOS expressions in the cerebral cortex under diabetic conditions.