title: Effects of electroacupuncture on ethanol-induced impairments of spatial learning and memory and Fos expression in the hippocampus in rats.
abstract: It is well established that alcohol impairs spatial learning and memory. Here, we investigated the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at ST36 or nonacupoint on ethanol-induced learning and memory impairment and the expression of Fos in the hippocampus. Ethanol (5g/kg) was administered intragastrically once a day for 5 consecutive days; 2Hz EA was administered immediately after ethanol exposure. After a 2-day ethanol abstinence, for 6 consecutive days, the rats were submitted to Morris water maze training. Probe trials were performed on 1 day after the final training session. We also applied immunohistochemistry to detect Fos-positive nuclei in the hippocampus. We found that 5-day ethanol exposure markedly decreased spatial learning and memory abilities in the Morris water maze task as indicated by escape latency and time in the target quadrant. EA treatment shortened the time of reaching platform and increased times traveled in the target quadrant (P<0.05). Animals administered with ethanol emitted significantly fewer Fos expression in the hippocampal CA1 area. EA increased Fos expression in the hippocampal CA1 area. Significant correlations were obtained between Fos protein expression in CA1 and time in the target quadrant. Altogether, these results suggest that EA protects against ethanol-induced impairments of spatial learning and memory, which may be involved in the hippocampal CA1 area. EA treatment may provide a novel nonpharmacological strategy for ethanol-induced learning and memory impairment.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Rd, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Rd, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Rd, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Rd, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Rd, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Rd, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Huijuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Rd, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Xueyong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Rd, Shanghai 200032, China. Electronic address: liusheng@shutcm.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D065853:Spatial Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D065852:Spatial Memory / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Alcohol; Electroacupuncture; Hippocampus; Learning and memory