Electroacupuncture attenuates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting microglial engulfment of dendritic spines

A major side effect of reperfusion therapy following myocardial infarction is myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI). Electroacupuncture preconditioning (EA-pre) has a long history in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Here, we demonstrate how EA-pre attenuates MIRI by affecting the phagocytosis of neuronal dendritic spines of microglia of the fastigial nucleus (FN microglia ). We observed that EA-pre increased activity in FN GABA and then improved myocardial injury by inhibiting abnormal activities of glutaminergic neurons of the FN (FN Glu ) during MIRI. Interestingly, we observed changes in the quantity and shape of FN microglia in mice treated with EA-pre and a decrease in the phagocytosis of FN GABA neuronal dendritic spines by microglia. Furthermore, the effects of improving MIRI were reversed when EA-pre mice were chemically activated by intra-FN lipopolysaccharide injection. Overall, our results provide new insight indicating that EA-pre regulates microglial engulfment capacity, thus promoting the improvement of cardiac sympathetic nervous disorder during MIRI.