Abstract
BackgroundAcupuncture is an alternative therapy that is widely used to treat various neurodegenerative diseases and effectively improve cognitive and memory impairment. The aim of this study was to examine whether acupuncture stimulation at the Baihui (GV20) acupoint improves memory defects caused by scopolamine (SCO) administration in rats. We also investigated the effects of acupuncture stimulation at GV20 on the cholinergic system as well as the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) in the hippocampus.MethodsSCO (2 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered to male rats once daily for 14 days. Acupuncture stimulation at GV20 was performed for 5 min before SCO injection. After inducing cognitive impairment via SCO administration, we conducted a passive avoidance test (PAT) and the Morris water maze (MWM) test to assess behavior.ResultsAcupuncture stimulation at GV20 improved memory impairment as measured by the PAT and reduced the escape latency for finding the platform in the MWM test. Acupuncture stimulation at GV20 significantly alleviated memory-associated decreases in the levels of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), BDNF and CREB proteins in the hippocampus. Additionally, acupuncture stimulation at GV20 significantly restored the expression of choline transporter 1 (CHT1), vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), BDNF and CREB mRNA in the hippocampus. These results demonstrate that acupuncture stimulation at GV20 exerts significant neuroprotective effects against SCO-induced neuronal impairment and memory dysfunction in rats.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that acupuncture stimulation at GV20 might be useful in various neurodegenerative diseases to improve cognitive functioning via stimulating cholinergic enzyme activities and regulating BDNF and CREB expression in the brain.
Highlights
Acupuncture is an alternative therapy that is widely used to treat various neurodegenerative diseases and effectively improve cognitive and memory impairment
Effect of acupuncture stimulation of GV20 on SCO-induced step-through latency deficit in the passive avoidance test To determine whether acupuncture stimulation at the GV20 promotes the recovery of memory dysfunction, acupuncture was performed to the rats with SCO-induced impairment of memory, and their memory and cognitive functions were examined by the PAT (Figure 2)
Our findings demonstrated that repeated SCO-induced memory impairment resulted in severe performance deficits in tests of cognitive functioning as well as corresponding signs of neurodegeneration in the brain, including decreased cholinergic enzyme activities and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) expression in the hippocampus
Summary
Acupuncture is an alternative therapy that is widely used to treat various neurodegenerative diseases and effectively improve cognitive and memory impairment. The aim of this study was to examine whether acupuncture stimulation at the Baihui (GV20) acupoint improves memory defects caused by scopolamine (SCO) administration in rats. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the brain that is characterized by deterioration of memory and cognitive function due to cholinergic nervous system dysfunction [1]. Decreased cholinergic function in the brain, as primarily observed in patients with AD, can result in a decline in memory and cognitive function [2]. Various cholinergic drugs have been approved to treat or alleviate AD, and they exert their therapeutic effects by counteracting acetylcholine (ACh) deficits and enhancing ACh levels in the brain [3]. An alternative treatment modality for AD patients is required
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