title: Acupuncture reversed hippocampal mitochondrial dysfunction in vascular dementia rats.
abstract: Hippocampal mitochondrial dysfunction due to oxidative stress has been considered to play a major role in the pathogenesis of vascular dementia (VD). Previous studies suggested that acupuncture could improve cerebral hypoperfusion-induced cognitive impairments. However, whether hippocampal mitochondria are associated with this cognitive improvement remains unclear. In this study, an animal model of VD was established via bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion (BCCAO) to investigate the alterations of cognitive ability and hippocampal mitochondrial function. BCCAO rats showed impairments in hippocampal mitochondrial function, overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and learning and memory deficits. After two-week acupuncture treatment, BCCAO-induced spatial learning and memory impairments as shown in Morris water maze were ameliorated. Hippocampal mitochondrial respiratory complex enzymes (complex I, II, IV) activities and cytochrome c oxidase IV expression significantly increased, which might contribute to the reduction of hippocampal ROS generation. In addition, acupuncture significantly improve mitochondrial bioenergy parameters such as mitochondrial respiratory control rate and membrane potential not PDH A1 expression. Placebo-acupuncture did not produce similar therapeutic effects. These findings suggested that acupuncture reversed BCCAO-induced hippocampal mitochondrial dysfunction, which might contribute to its prevention on cognitive deficits.
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Capital Medical University, 23 Meishuguanhou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100010, China; Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 312 Anshanxidao Street, Nankai District, Tianjin 300193, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 312 Anshanxidao Street, Nankai District, Tianjin 300193, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 312 Anshanxidao Street, Nankai District, Tianjin 300193, China.
authors.forename: Li-Ting
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Capital Medical University, 23 Meishuguanhou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100010, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Rui
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Capital Medical University, 23 Meishuguanhou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100010, China.
authors.forename: Si-Qi
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 312 Anshanxidao Street, Nankai District, Tianjin 300193, China.
authors.forename: Chao-Qun
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Capital Medical University, 23 Meishuguanhou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100010, China.
authors.forename: Tian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Capital Medical University, 23 Meishuguanhou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100010, China.
authors.forename: Jing-Wen
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Capital Medical University, 23 Meishuguanhou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100010, China. Electronic address: lcz623780@126.com.
authors.forename: Cun-Zhi
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D028361:Mitochondrial Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species
keywords: Acupuncture; Hippocampus; Mitochondrial dysfunction; Vascular dementia