title: Effects of combined acupuncture and eugenol on learning-memory ability and antioxidation system of hippocampus in Alzheimer disease rats via olfactory system stimulation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of combined acupuncture and eugenol on learning-memory ability and the antioxidation system of the hippocampus in Alzheimer disease (AD) rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty Sprague Dawley rats, weighing (300 +/- 10) g, were randomly divided with 10 rats per group into a normal control group, AD model group, AD with cut olfactory nerve group, Xiu three-needle group, eugenol group, and combined acupuncture and eugenol group. The AD model was established by injection of amyloid beta1-40 (Abeta 1-40). Morris maze tests were conducted for evaluating the learning-memory ability. Content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the hippocampus were detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average escape latency and the mean swimming distance in the normal control group, the Xiu three-needle group, the eugenol group, and the combined acupuncture and eugenol group were significantly shorter than those in the AD model group (all P < 0.01). The combined acupuncture and eugenol group had shorter escape latency and mean swimming distance than those in the Xiu three-needle group and the eugenol group. There were no significant differences between the Xiu three-needle group and the eugenol group and between the AD group and the AD with cut olfactory nerve group (P > 0.05). Compared with the normal control group, the MDA content in the hippocampus significantly increased (P < 0.05) and GSH-Px and SOD activities significantly decreased in the AD model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the AD model group, significantly decreased (P < 0.01) and SOD and GSH-Px activities significantly increased in the Xiu three-needle group, eugenol group, and combined acupuncture and eugenol group (P < 0.05). Compared with the Xiu three-needle group and eugenol group, the MDA content significantly decreased (P < 0.05) and SOD and GSH-Px activities increased (P < 0.05) in the combined acupuncture and eugenol group. There were no significant differences among the three indices between the Xiu three-needle group and the eugenol group and between the AD model group and the AD with cut olfactory nerve group (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both Xiu three-needle and eugenol can increase learning-memory ability, decrease MDA content, and increase SOD and GSH-Px activities in the hippocampus in AD rats. The combination of acupuncture with eugenol has stronger effects, and the effects depend on the olfactory pathway.
authors.affiliation: Research Center, Department of Acupuncture and Tuina, Shaanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xi'an 712046, China. Izb210396@163.com
authors.forename: Zhibin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wenmin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Xiaohang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D000818:Animals; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005054:Eugenol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D009832:Olfactory Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D005054:Eugenol