目的:探讨电针“环跳”“足三里”穴对糖尿病大鼠坐骨神经传导速度及糖化终产物(AGEs)受体(RAGE)mRNA表达的影响,旨在揭示针刺促进损伤坐骨神经再生修复的机制.方法:选用30只雄性Wistar大鼠经左腹腔一次性注射链脲佐菌素造成血糖高于16?7mmol/L的糖尿病大鼠模型,制模后将大鼠随机分为模型组、弥可保组和电针组;另选8只体重、鼠龄相匹配的大鼠作为正常对照组.实验中,记录大鼠的一般情况及血糖等,治疗16周后测定坐骨神经传导速度,采用逆转录聚合酶链式反应(RT-PCR)检测各组大鼠坐骨神经RAGE mRNA表达水平.结果:与正常组比较,模型组神经传导速度慢,说明周围神经损伤;电针组、弥可保组大鼠坐骨神经传导速度与模型组比较有所提高(P“,”Objective To investigate the mechanisms of acupuncture in accelerating regeneration of injured sciatic nerve, the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at “Huntio (环跳GB 30)” and “Zúsnlǐ (足三里ST 36)” on conduction velocity and mRNA expression of receptors of advanced glycation end products (RAGE) of the sciatic nerve were observed in experimental diabetic rats. Methods Streptozotocin was injected into the left abdomen in 30 male rats to establish diabetes mellitus (DM) models with hyperglycemia (>16.7 mmol/L). Thirty rats with DM were divided into a diabetes model group (group DM), a Methycobal group (group MET) and an EA group (group EA). Another 8 rats comparable in body weight and age were used as a normal control group (group NC). General situation and blood sugar levels of all the rats were recorded, and the conduction velocities of the sciatic nerves were measured. RAGE mRNA expression of the sciatic nerve was detected by means of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)16 weeks after treatment. Results After 16 weeks, the conduction velocities of the sciatic nerves were lowered in group DM, compared with those in group NC, indicating lesion of peripheral nerves. Compared with group DM, the conduction velocities of the sciatic nerves were significantly elevated in both group EA and group MET (P<0.01), and there was a significant difference between the two groups, showing superiority of EA to Methycobal (P<0.01). The RAGE mRNA levels of the sciatic nerves in group DM were significantly higher than those in group NC (P<0.01). The RAGE mRNA levels of the sciatic nerves in both group EA and group MET were remarkably lowered than those in group DM (P<0.01), and the decrease in group EA was more obviously than that in group MET (P<0.01). Conclusion EA may exert its therapeutic effects on diabetic perineuropathy (DPN) by way of regulating abnormal expression of RAGE mRNA in the sciatic nerve and alleviating its injury caused by advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accumulation and diminishing oxidative stress to enhance its conduction velocity.