Electroacupuncture at BL15 improved arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy associated with restoring disordered conduction and calcium handling

Abstract

Objective: Arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy (AIC) is a reversible dilated cardiomyopathy induced by rapid or irregular heartbeat. Acupuncture has a long history of use in the treatment of cardiac diseases, and Xinshu (BL15) is a key acupoint. However, the underlying mechanism of acupuncture at BL15 in the treatment of AIC has not yet been elucidated.

Methods: AIC was induced in adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats by continuous administration of acetylcholine (ACh)-CaCl₂ and treatment with electroacupuncture (EA) at bilateral BL15. Echocardiography was used to evaluate cardiac function; the rotarod test for motor coordination and performance; hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining for the morphology of ventricles; electrocardiogram for susceptibility, inducibility, and duration of atrial fibrillation (AF); and electrical and optical mapping in isolated rat hearts maintained by the Langendorff perfusion system for electrical conduction and intracellular handling, respectively. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting were used to determine the levels of cardiac conduction and intracellular calcium-handling proteins in the ventricle.

Results: The results showed that EA improved the ejection factor and morphological indices on echocardiography, restored motor coordination and performance, and alleviated ventricular dilation and AF onset. EA alleviates atrial conduction disorders, shortens APD₈₀, and decreases calcium handling in rats with AIC. Cx43 was downregulated and CaMKII was upregulated, and both effects were reversed by EA treatment.

Conclusion: Our study provides a novel AIC model with abnormal electrical propagation and calcium handling that can be protected by EA at BL15. This potential mechanism may be associated with the modulation of Cx43 and CaMKII expression.

Keywords

Arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy / BL15 / Calcium handling / Cardiac conduction / Electroacupuncture

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2022YFC3500405, 2019YFC1712105); The National Science Foundation of China (82374075); The National Comprehensive Traditional Chinese Medicine Reform Demonstration Zone Science and Technology Collaborative Development Project (GZY-KJS-SD-2024-046); Taishan Scholar Youth Project of Shandong Province (tsqn202306188).

Author contributions

Shengxuan Sun, Jing Huang, and Yijun Hu wrote the original draft and conducted formal analysis. Yang Su, Huanhuan Yu, and Feng Guo contributed to software, methodology, and data curation. Meng Zhang, Yucen Xia, and Lin Yao conducted formal analysis and curated data. Taiyi Wang and Yongjun Chen reviewed and edited the manuscript, performed validation, supervised the study, acquired funding, and conceptualized the research. All of the authors have read and approved the published version of the manuscript.

Ethical approval of studies and informed consent

This animal study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, ethical review approval number: 20201124005.

Acknowledgments

We thank Jingya Wang (Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China) for technical support on small-animal ultrasound imaging.

Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

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