electroacupuncture of multiple rodents in a 3d printed fixator

Een 3D-geprinte houder gebruiken voor elektro-acupunctuur in bulk bij kleine dieren

Electroacupuncture (EA) therapy is a unique method in which acupuncture needles are inserted into the scalp and connected to an electro-machine to stimulate specific points1. Unlike manual stimulation, EA allows better control of stimulation by stabilizing specific frequencies and waveforms to achieve optimal therapeutic effects2. According to a survey, 81.2% of medical institutions in China use EA or manual acupuncture to treat cerebral palsy, neuralgia, facial palsy, and other conditions. Despite its popularity, the specific mechanism of efficacy of EA is still unknown, which has hindered its promotion and application in the rehabilitation treatment of neurological diseases1,2,3. Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanism of EA&#39;s effectiveness and to promote its use in the rehabilitation treatment of neurological diseases.
As the influence of acupuncture expands worldwide, many studies have already investigated the mechanisms of EA performed on rodent models, such as rat or mouse models1,2,3. Several issues are often encountered in EA&#39;s rodent experiments. The first is how to immobilize rodents without anesthesia, as acupuncture performed on awake subjects is more reflective of clinical practice. In addition, some experiments require animals to be awake to observe treatment effects2,3. Another challenge is accurately locating the acupoints in mice or rats that correspond to those in humans. The precise localization of acupoints in experimental rodents is currently being studied by many scholars4,5. In this protocol, MS6 and ST25 were selected, which have been clearly defined in rodents by the transformation of human anatomical localization. MS6 is commonly used for the treatment of some brain diseases, such as Parkinson&#39;s disease6. ST25 is usually used to treat gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea7. These two acupoints were chosen primarily to demonstrate how rodents can be effectively immobilized in both supine and prone positions. Moreover, these acupoints have been extensively studied and offer significant insights for research purposes6,7.
The previous method of immobilizing a single rat for experiments is not only time-consuming but also difficult to handle by a single person8. Additionally, due to the non-cooperation of animals, the success rate is relatively low in practice. Therefore, there is a critical need to create an easily established animal model with stable characteristics to improve experiment efficiency. In this article, a 3D printed holder for small animals was introduced that could easily immobilize multiple rodents, leading to motor restriction. The aim of this paper is to administer EA treatments to a batch of young rats or mice, focusing on the strategies for bulk restriction of mice, identification, and stimulation of MS6 and ST25 acupoints.

Auteur in de schijnwerpers: een 3D-geprinte houder gebruiken voor gelijktijdige meervoudige elektro-acupunctuuroperatie

Bulk elektro-acupunctuuroperatie voor muizen of jonge ratten

In this video, we introduce an efficient way of using electroacupuncture on multiple awake mice or rats. In vesical research, animal is urinating, but they are not cooperative, and acupuncture only is time consume. Another issue is about the anesthesia, which is not clinical applicable of acupuncture.To address these issues, we demonstrate efficient method of performing electroacupuncture on multiple awake mice or rats by using 3D printed holder. Our protocol demonstrates a more efficiency and safer way to hold multiple animals simultaneously, which unlike other method that imply immobilization, this method not only saves time, but also improve experimental success rates. Additionally, device is designed to be easy to handle, which could be operated by one person.The ProTech and device are beneficial for the promotion of experimental scientific research in electroacupuncture.

Elektro-acupunctuur van meerdere knaagdieren in een 3D-geprinte fixator

Verdeel om te beginnen een twee meter lang touw in zes gelijke segmenten. Gebruik het veerbelaste gespmechanisme om de uiteinden van de touwen vast te maken, zodat de lusmaten gemakkelijk kunnen worden aangepast. Rijg elk van de zes touwen door de daarvoor bestemde gaten in de fixator.Plaats vervolgens de kop van het knaagdier in het U-vormige gat in de fixator. Maak de lussen voorzichtig vast rond de nek van het knaagdier en leid zijn lichaam voorzichtig door twee van de voorbereide touwlussen. Maak vervolgens de lussen rond de buik van het knaagdier vast en zorg ervoor dat deze strak genoeg zit zonder ademnood te veroorzaken.Immobiliseer op dezelfde manier de andere twee knaagdieren. Zoek de acupunten op anatomische locatie en bevestig de insteekdiepte op het acupunt. Draai en steek de steriele wegwerpnaalden bilateraal en subcutaan langzaam in MS6 of de ST25.Sluit vervolgens een kant van de aansluitkabel aan op het elektro-acupunctuurinstrument. Sluit de andere kant van de aansluitkabel met de positieve en negatieve clips aan op de acupunctuurnaaldschachten aan de linker- en rechterkant MS6. Zet het elektro-acupunctuurinstrument aan.Draai aan de functie of kies de schakelknop om de frequentie en functiemodus in te stellen. Stel de frequentie in op 10 Hertz en kies een continue golfmodus. Draai aan de knop Intensiteit aanpassen om de intensiteit in te stellen op één tot twee milliampère gedurende vijf minuten.De 3D-geprinte fixator maakte het mogelijk om drie muizen tegelijkertijd stevig te immobiliseren in zowel rugligging als buikligging zonder letsel. De MS6 en ST25 acupunten werden met succes gelokaliseerd en geprikt bij knaagdieren. De gemiddelde tijd voor immobilisatie van drie ratten in beide posities lag tussen de 72 en 77 seconden.

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

Electroacupuncture of Multiple Rodents in a 3D Printed Fixator

Bulk Electroacupuncture Operation for Mice or Young Rats

Electroacupuncture (EA) is widely used to treat various health conditions. However, the underlying mechanism of EA treatment remains unclear, hindering ...