title: Acupuncture and moxibustion reduces neuronal edema in Alzheimer's disease rats.
abstract: To examine the possible correlation of aberrant Wnt signaling and pathological changes in Alzheimer's disease, we established a rat model of Alzheimer's disease and measured axin and β-catenin expression in the hippocampus. Rats were pretreated with moxibustion or electroacupuncture, or both, at Baihui (GV20) and Shenshu (BL23). Axin expression was lower, β-catenin expression was greater, and neuronal cytoplasmic edema was visibly prevented in the rats that had received the pretreatments. Our results suggest that the mechanism underlying the neuroprotective effect of acupuncture and moxibustion in Alzheimer's disease is associated with axin and β-catenin expression in the Wnt signal transduction pathway.
authors.affiliation: Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Guojie
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Lihong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Yanjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Shuju
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Bangguo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; NSFC grant; acupuncture and moxibustion; axin; brain injury; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; pretreatment; β-catenin