| Objective: To investigate the frequency-dependent mechanism by which electroacupuncture preconditioning at different frequencies improves myocardial injury in rats with chronic myocardial ischemia through regulating the AMPK/PGC-1α pathway. Methods: Seventy-five SD rats were randomly divided into blank control, model, low-frequency (2 Hz), high-frequency (100 Hz), and sham electroacupuncture groups. A chronic myocardial ischemia model was established by continuous injection of isoproterenol, followed by 10 days of electroacupuncture treatment. Results: Compared with the model group, both low-frequency and high-frequency electroacupuncture improved the general condition of rats, reduced serum glucose and lipid levels, myocardial injury markers (LDH, CK-MB), and inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α), increased myocardial ATP content, and upregulated the expression of AMPK and PGC-1α (P<0.05). The protective effect and pathway activation of low-frequency electroacupuncture were superior to those of high-frequency electroacupuncture (P<0.05), while the sham electroacupuncture group showed no improvement. Conclusion: Electroacupuncture can alleviate myocardial injury, and the mechanism may be related to activating the AMPK/PGC-1α signaling, optimizing energy metabolism, and inhibiting inflammation. Low-frequency electroacupuncture shows significant advantages, providing experimental evidence for optimizing electroacupuncture parameters and suggesting that low-frequency electroacupuncture may be a therapeutic strategy for protecting myocardial mitochondrial function. |