Electroacupuncture at Baihui acupoint (GV20) reverses behavior deficit and long-term potentiation through N-methyl-d-aspartate and transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 receptors in middle cerebral artery occlusion rats.
Vascular dementia is one of the most important causes that account for 20-40% of all dementia cases. The aim of this study was to investigate whether electroacupuncture can reduce behavior deficit and long-term potentiation (LTP) in vascular dementia. Here we used a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) technique to induce a vascular dementia model with additional electroacupuncture (EA) manipulation. Behaviors were impaired in animals with MCAo, and similar results were observed with long-term potentiation induction. MCAo decreased the expression of LTP from 180.4±14.9% to 112.5±18.3%, suggesting that cerebral ischemia could impair the hippocampal LTP. In addition, immunostaining results showed that the expressions of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subtype 1 (NR1) and transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1) receptors were significantly increased in the hippocampal CA1 areas. Noticeably, these phenomena can be reversed by 2 Hz EA at Baihui acupoint (GV20) for six consecutive days. Our results support a rescue role of 2 Hz EA for MCAo-induced behavior and LTP impairment. These results also suggest that NMDAR1 and TRPV1 may be involved in this pathway.
Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Yi-Wen
YW
Lin
Ching-Liang
CL
Hsieh
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001703:Biophysics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
D018698:Glutamic Acid; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels; C494484:TRPV1 receptor