title: Electroacupuncture improves cognitive deficits associated with AMPK activation in SAMP8 mice.
abstract: Perturbations of brain energy metabolism are involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK) is a master energy sensor that monitors the levels of key energy metabolites. Electroacupuncture (EA) has demonstrated therapeutic potential for the treatment of AD. The effects of EA on cognitive functions and the changes of AMPK and its phosphorylated form (p-AMPK) expression were investigated in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice. Cognitive function of SAMP8 mice was assessed using Morris water maze test after EA treatment. Then mice were sacrificed for immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. EA stimulation significantly alleviated memory impairment of AD mice, and increased the levels of p-AMPK in the hippocampus. These results suggest that EA improved cognitive function associated with AMPK activation, AMPK may be a molecular target of EA in treating AD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350122, Peoples Republic of China, fjdwg601@163.com.
authors.forename: Weiguo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Wanqing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Xuehua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wenguang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic
chemical_list: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases