Electroacupuncture restores learning and memory impairment induced by both diabetes mellitus and cerebral ischemia in rats.
Previous investigations have demonstrated that electroacupunctural stimulation can ameliorate primary and secondary symptoms such as peripheral neuropathy and diabetic encephalopathy in diabetic rats. In this study, we investigated whether electroacupuncture could improve learning and memory which was typically impaired in diabetic rats with cerebral ischemia. Furthermore, we investigated the mechanisms underlying its effects using passive avoidance test, active avoidance test, Morris water maze and electrophysiology. Electroacupuncture increased the step-down latency in passive avoidance test and accurate rate in active avoidance test, decreased the escape latency in Morris water maze. After electroacupuncture treatment, the long-term potentiation (LTP) impaired by both diabetes and cerebral ischemia was restored significantly. These results suggest that electroacupuncture can ameliorate learning and memory capacity impaired by hyperglycemia and ischemia. LTP plays a very important role in this beneficial effect.
Jing
Xiang-Hong
XH
Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Beijing 100700, China. jxhtjb@263.net
Chen
Shu-Li
SL
Shi
Hong
H
Cai
Hong
H
Jin
Zhi-Gao
ZG
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001835:Body Weight; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects
D001786:Blood Glucose