electroacupuncture of multiple rodents in a 3d printed fixator

Användning av en 3D-printad hållare för elektroakupunktur i bulk på små djur

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.

Författare i fokus: Använda en 3D-printad hållare för samtidig multipel elektroakupunkturoperation

Bulk elektroakupunkturoperation för möss eller unga råttor

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.

Elektroakupunktur av flera gnagare i en 3D-printad fixator

Börja med att dela upp ett två meter långt rep i sex lika stora segment. Använd den fjäderbelastade spännmekanismen för att fästa ändarna på repen, vilket möjliggör enkel justering av öglestorlekar. Trä vart och ett av de sex repen genom de avsedda hålen i fixatorn.Placera sedan gnagarens huvud i det U-formade hålet i fixatorn. Fäst försiktigt öglorna runt gnagarens hals och för försiktigt kroppen genom två av de förberedda repöglorna. Fäst sedan öglorna runt gnagarens buk och se till att den är tillräckligt tät utan att orsaka andningsbesvär.Immobilisera de andra två gnagarna på samma sätt. Hitta akupunkterna efter anatomisk plats och bekräfta insättningsdjupet vid akupunkten. Vrid långsamt och sätt in de sterila engångsnålarna bilateralt och subkutant i MS6 eller ST25.Anslut sedan ena sidan av anslutningskabeln till elektroakupunkturinstrumentet. Anslut den andra sidan av anslutningskabeln med de positiva och negativa klämmorna till akupunkturnålens skaft på vänster och höger MS6. Slå på elektroakupunkturinstrumentet.Vrid på funktionen eller välj växlingsknappen för att ställa in frekvens och funktionsläge. Ställ in frekvensen på 10 Hertz och välj ett kontinuerligt vågläge. Vrid på knappen Justera intensitet för att ställa in intensiteten på en till två milliampere som varar i fem minuter.Den 3D-printade fixatorn gjorde det möjligt att samtidigt immobilisera tre möss i både ryggläge och bukläge utan att skada sig. Akupunkterna MS6 och ST25 lokaliserades och nålades framgångsrikt i gnagare. Den genomsnittliga tiden för immobilisering av tre råttor i båda positionerna var mellan 72 och 77 sekunder.

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 ...