Acupuncture for experimental cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury: a systematic review of methodology and reporting quality

Objectives: Preclinical research is essential to the advancement of science but susceptible to insufficient reporting and methodological shortcomings, which compromise internal validity. We aimed to systematically assess the methodological and reporting quality of studies conducted on acupuncture for experimental cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI). Methods: A comprehensive search in six databases was performed for animal research concerning acupuncture for CIRI. Two authors independently selected articles, extracted data, and assessed the methodological and reporting quality of identified articles using the Systematic Review Center for Laboratory Animal Experimentation (SYRCLE) tool, and Animal Research: Reporting In Vivo Experiments (ARRIVE) guideline, respectively. Results: A total of 24 studies were identified. Only 1 article (4%) achieved a decent overall rating in using SYRCLE (percentage of items with “low risk” ⩾50%). Of the 22 items on the SYRCLE tool, only 8 items (37%) were rated as “low risk” of bias in more than 50% of the included studies. Of the 39 items of ARRIVE, 20 (51%) items were rated as “low risk” in more than 50% of the included studies. Conclusions: The methodological and reporting quality of included studies was generally low, which demands further improvement. These findings should inform the development of evidence-based guidelines for future preclinical research assessing the effect of acupuncture on CIRI.

METHODS FOR ESTIMATING NEUROLOGICAL DISTURBANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL CEREBRAL ISCHEMIA

Investigation of the brain pathology in experimental ischemia requires adequate methods for assessing the neurological deficit that occurs in laboratory animals, including sensory-based and behavioural disorders. In this research, we aimed to compare motor and behavioural disorders in rats with partial and subtotal experimental cerebral ischemia. The rats modelled with cerebral ischemia are found to exhibit a decrease in muscle strength, resistance to hypoxia, motor and emotional activity. The animals with incomplete cerebral ischemia demonstrated more pronounced sensory-based motor and behavioural disorders compared both with those modelled with partial cerebral ischemia and, in particular, with the control group.