Electroacupuncture improves cardiac function and remodeling by inhibition

23 Chronic heart failure (CHF) is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, 24 mainly as a result of neurohumoral activation. Acupuncture has been used to treat a wide 25 range of diseases and conditions. In this study, we investigated the effects of 26 electroacupuncture (EA) on the sympathetic nerve activity, heart function and remodeling in 27 CHF rats after ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. CHF rats were 28 randomly selected to EA and control groups for acute and chronic experiments. In the acute 29 experiment, both the renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) and cardiac sympathetic 30 afferent reflex (CSAR) elicited by epicardial application of capsaicin were recorded. In the 31 chronic experiment, we performed EA for 30 minutes once a day for 1 week to test the 32 long-term EA effects on heart function , remodeling as well as infarct size in CHF rats. The 33 results show EA significantly decreased the RSNA effectively, inhibited CSAR and lowered 34 the blood pressure of CHF rats. Treating CHF rats with EA for 1 week dramatically increased 35 left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fraction shortening (LVFS); and 36 reversed the enlargement of left ventricular end-systolic dimension (LVESD) and left 37 ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD); and shrunk the infarct size. In this experiment, 38 we demonstrated EA attenuates sympathetic overactivity. Additionally, long-term EA 39 improves cardiac function and remodeling and reduces infarct size in CHF rats. EA is a novel 40 and potentially useful therapy for treating CHF. 41