Acupuncture at acupoints can improve the functions of distal organs. Neuropathological studies have shown that electroacupuncture can significantly reduce the infarct volume, and improve the proportions of injured corpus striatum cells and residual cortical cells. Acupunc-ture-like sense stimulation can activate various conduction pathways that induce changes in nervous system activities. Electroacupuncture before and after brain ischemia can improve the blood supply and blood viscosity, and reduce ischemic neuronal injury. These findings verify the efficacy of acupuncture in treating brain ischemia, as well as its roles in brain functional rebuilding and compensation.
In this issue of NRR, three papers describe studies on the effects of electroacupuncture at the Baihui, Dazhui, Chengjiang and Guanyuan acupoints, as well as the philtrum, on the ultrastructure and proliferation of nerve cells, extracellular pERK pathway, and cytokine expression levels to investigate the possible mechanisms underlying how electroacupuncture treats brain ischemia and to provide evidence for clinical treatments.

? Electroacupuncture-attenuated ischemic brain injury increases insulin-like growth factor-1 expression in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia
Neural Regen Res. 2010;5(18):1408-1412.
       
? Electroacupunc-ture effect on synaptic ultrastructure in focal cerebral ischemia marginal zone of the rat
Neural Regen Res. 2010;5(8):618-622.

? Influence of Ren and Du meridian electro-acupuncture on neural stem cell proliferation and extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia injury
Neural Regen Res. 2010;5(6):433-438.