Neuroprotective Effects of Electroacupuncture Preventive Treatment in Senescence-Accelerated Mouse Prone 8 Mice.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the preventive treatment effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on cognitive changes and brain damage in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice.


METHODS
The 5-month-old male SAMP8 and age-matched homologous normal aging mice (SAMR1) were adopted in this study. EA stimulation at Baihui (GV 20) and Yintang (EX-HN 3) was performed every other day for 12 weeks, 4 weeks as a course. Morris water maze test and Nissl-stained with cresyl violet were used for cognitive impairments evaluation and brain morphometric analysis. Amyloid-β (A β) expression in hippocampus and parietal cortex was detected by immunohistochemistry, and apoptosis was observed by TUNEL staining.


RESULTS
After 3 courses of EA preventive treatment, the escape latencies of 8-month-old SAMP8 mice in EA group were significantly shortened than those of un-pretreated SAMP8 mice. Compared with SAMR1 mice, extensive neuronal changes were visualized in the CA1 area of hippocampus in SAMP8 mice, while these pathological changes and attenuate cell loss in hippocampal CA1 area of SAMP8 mice markedly reduced after EA preventive treatment. Furthermore, A β expression in hippocampus and parietal cortex of SAMP8 mice decreased significantly after EA treatment, and neuronal apoptosis decreased as well.


CONCLUSIONS
EA preventive treatment at GV 20 and EX-HN 3 might improve cognitive deficits and neuropathological changes in SAMP8 mice, which might be, at least in part, due to the effects of reducing brain neuronal damage, decreasing neuronal apoptosis and inhibiting A β-containing aggregates.
Research Center for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China.
Xiao-Li
XL
He
Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
Shi-Hui
SH
Zhao
Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100010, China.
Wei
W
You
Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
Yu-Ying
YY
Cai
Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
Yan-Yun
YY
Wang
Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
Yong-Ming
YM
Ye
Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China. myrroossee@aliyun.com.
Bao-Hui
BH
Jia
D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents
brain damage; cognitive impairment; electroacupuncture; learning and memory; prevention; senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 mice
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