The Effect of Electric Acupuncture on the Retinal Ganglion Cells in Rabbits with Acute High Intraocular Pressure

Purpose: To assess the effect of electric acupuncture on the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in rabbits with acute high intraocular pressure (IOP). Methods: This comparative experimental study included 32 rabbits assigned into 3 groups: group 1 (n=5), group 2 (n=10) and group 3 (n=17). The rabbits in groups 2 and 3, which were anesthetized with an intravenous injection of 30% sodium urethane, were subjected to high pressure perfusion to anterior chambers by increasing the IOP to 30, 50 and 70 mmHg for 2 hours. After 2 weeks of electric acupuncture treatment with G6805-2 electron treatment device on acupoints Housanli and Jingming of rabbits in group 3, the rabbit's eyes of all three groups were enucleated and its RGCs were observed with transmission electron microscope. Results: In group 1, that's the normal control, its ultrastructures appeared normally while different changes of RGCs were happened in the other two groups. Ultrastructurally, in group 2, under different degrees of high pressure perfusion, its RGCs showed the light colour of cytoplasm, less organelles, irregular rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and Golgi apparatus, and vacuolated mitochondria with broken cristae etc. And in group 3, a few relatively intact RGCs were noticed especially under 30 mmHg and 50 mmHg perfusion but no obviously improved under 70 mmHg perfusion. Conclusion: Electric acupuncture is more helpful to RGCs with high pressure perfusion from 30 mmHg to 50 mmHg. Electric acupuncture might be used for vision injury of glaucoma with moderate high IOP.