title: Electric stimulation of the ears ameliorated learning and memory impairment in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.
abstract: Ear acupuncture enhances the secretion of acetylcholine, which has anti-inflammatory effects. Here we want to investigate the effect of electric stimulation (ES) of the ears on learning and memory impairment in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. At 24 h after reperfusion, 2-Hz ES was applied to the ears for 20 min/day (10 min for each ear) for 7 days continuously. The step-through time of the passive avoidance test was greater in the ES group than in the control group (300.0 ± 0.0 s vs 45.0 ± 26.7 s, p < 0.05). Our results showed that neither neurological deficit score nor motor functions were improved after 2-Hz ES (4.0 ± 0 vs 4.5 ± 0.8, p > 0.05). The numbers of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α4 positively stained cells in the CA2 and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus were 19.0 ± 11.5 and 269.2 ± 79.3, respectively, in the ES group, which were greater than those in the control group (7.0 ± 5.9 and 165.5 ± 30.8, respectively) (both p < 0.05). These results suggested that 2-Hz ES of the ears ameliorated learning and memory impairment in rats with ischemia-reperfusion injury. ES of the ears has neuroprotective effects, which are related to acetylcholine release.
authors: Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
authors: Ching-Tung
authors: CT
authors: Kuo
authors: Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
authors: Yi-Wen
authors: YW
authors: Lin
authors: School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40447, Taiwan.
authors: Nou-Ying
authors: NY
authors: Tang
authors: School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40447, Taiwan.
authors: Chin-Yi
authors: CY
authors: Cheng
authors: Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.|Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40447, Taiwan.|Research Center for Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
authors: Ching-Liang
authors: CL
authors: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004423:Ear / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; C546339:Rbfox3 protein, rat