Iranian Journal of Medical Hypotheses and Ideas Electro-acupuncture could be an effective pretreatment for cerebral ischemia

Electroacupuncture, the integration of traditional Chinese acupuncture and modern electrotherapy, has been used for clinical treatment of cerebral ischemic disease in both eastern and western countries; however, the mechanism underlying its effects is still unknown. It is well known that excessive glutamate results in neuronal excitotoxicity after ischemic stroke. Previous studies have indicated that electro-acupuncture may downregulate the overactivation of glutamate after ischemia, and a recent study implied that electro-acupuncture prior to ischemia could induce brain ischemic tolerance. Based on the present information, we hypothesize that electro-acupuncture could be an effective pretreatment for cerebral ischemia by regulating the glutamatergic system.