Baihui Acupoints Research Articles

Modulation of the Default Mode Network in First-Episode, Drug-Naïve Major Depressive Disorder via Acupuncture at Baihui (GV20) Acupoint.

Background: Previous neuroimaging studies have revealed that acupuncture modulates the default mode network (DMN) in healthy subjects and patients with certain disorder. However, few studies have been performed to investigate whether or not acupuncture might modulate the DMN in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Thereby, the aim of the present study was to assess alterations of the DMN induced by acupuncture stimulation in patients with first-episode, drug-naïve MDD.Materials and Methods: Twenty nine patients with first-episode, drug-naïve MDD and 29 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. All the healthy subjects underwent 6-min resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI) scan. While patients underwent acupuncture stimulation for 20-min electro-acupuncture stimulation (EAS) at Baihui acupoint (GV20) and two 6-min R-fMRI scans before and after EAS. Based on the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex (PC/PCC) as the seed region, functional connectivity (FC) method was adopted to examine abnormal DMN in patients by comparing with healthy subjects and to evaluate the influence of EAS on intrinsic connectivity within the DMN in patients with MDD.Results: Compared to healthy subjects, MDD patients had abnormal DMN. Moreover, results showed that EAS at GV20 induced increased FC between the PC/PCC and bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and decreased FC between the PC/PCC and left middle prefrontal cortex, left angualr gyrus and bilateral hippocampus/parahippocampus (HIPP/paraHIPP) in patients with MDD, which were the main brain regions showing significant differences between the patients and healthy subjects.Conclusion: Our findings provide imaging evidence to support that GV20-related acupuncture stimulation may modulate the DMN in patients with first-episode, drug-naïve MDD. This study may partly interpret the neural mechanisms of acupuncture at GV20 which is used to treat patients with MDD in clinical.

Electroacupuncture at Baihui (DU20) acupoint up-regulates mRNA expression of NeuroD molecules in the brains of newborn rats suffering in utero fetal distress.

NeuroD plays a key regulatory effect on differentiation of neural stem cells into mature neurons in the brain. Thus, we assumed that electroacupuncture at Baihui (DU20) acupoint in newborn rats exposed to in utero fetal distress would influence expression of NeuroD. Electroacupuncture at Baihui was performed for 20 minutes on 3-day-old (Day 3) newborn Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to in utero fetal distress; electroacupuncture parameters consisted of sparse and dense waves at a frequency of 2-10 Hz. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR results demonstrated that mRNA expression of NeuroD, a molecule that indicates NeuroD, increased with prolonged time in brains of newborn rats, and peaked on Day 22. The level of mRNA expression was similar between Day 16 and Day 35. These findings suggest that electro acupuncture at Baihui acupoint could effectively increase mRNA expression of molecules involved in NeuroD in the brains of newborn rats exposed to in utero fetal distress.

Study on the Mechanism of mTOR-Mediated Autophagy during Electroacupuncture Pretreatment against Cerebral Ischemic Injury.

This study is aimed at investigating the association between the electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment-induced protective effect against early cerebral ischemic injury and autophagy. EA pretreatment can protect cerebral ischemic and reperfusion injuries, but whether the attenuation of early cerebral ischemic injury by EA pretreatment was associated with autophagy is not yet clear. This study used the middle cerebral artery occlusion model to monitor the process of ischemic injury. For rats in the EA pretreatment group, EA pretreatment was conducted at Baihui acupoint before ischemia for 30 min for 5 consecutive days. The results suggested that EA pretreatment significantly increased the expression of autophagy in the cerebral cortical area on the ischemic side of rats. But the EA pretreatment-induced protective effects on the brain could be reversed by the specific inhibitor 3-methyladenine of autophagy. Additionally, the Pearson correlation analysis indicated that the impact of EA pretreatment on p-mTOR (2481) was negatively correlated with its impact on autophagy. In conclusion, the mechanism of EA pretreatment at Baihui acupoint against cerebral ischemic injury is mainly associated with the upregulation of autophagy expression, and its regulation of autophagy may depend on mTOR-mediated signaling pathways.

Effect of Electroacupuncture at Shenting and Baihui Acupoints on Ability of Learning and Memory and Expression of Autophagy Related Genes and Proteins in Cerebral Ischemia-reperfusion Injuried Rats

Effect of Electroacupuncture at Shenting and Baihui Acupoints on Ability of Learning and Memory and Expression of Autophagy Related Genes and Proteins in Cerebral Ischemia-reperfusion Injuried Rats

Effect of Electroacupuncture at Baihui Acupoint on Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Spatial Learning and Memory Ability in APP/PS1 Transgenic Mice

Effect of Electroacupuncture at Baihui Acupoint on Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Spatial Learning and Memory Ability in APP/PS1 Transgenic Mice

Mechanisms of electroacupuncture effects on acute cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury: possible association with upregulation of transforming growth factor beta 1.

Electroacupuncture at the head acupoints Baihui (GV20) and Shuigou (GV26) improves recovery of neurological function following ischemic cerebrovascular events, but its mechanism remains incompletely understood. We hypothesized that the action of electroacupuncture at these acupoints is associated with elevated serum levels of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1). To test this, we established a rat model of cerebral ischemia by middle cerebral artery occlusion. Electroacupuncture was performed at Baihui and Shuigou with a "disperse-dense" wave at an alternating frequency of 2 and 150 Hz, and at a constant intensity of 3 mA. Each electroacupuncture session lasted 30 minutes and was performed every 12 hours for 3 days. Neurological severity scores were lower in injured rats after acupuncture than in those not subjected to treatment. Furthermore, serum level of TGF-β1 was greater after electroacupuncture than after no treatment. Our results indicate that electroacupuncture at Baihui and Shuigou increases the serum level of TGF-β1 in rats with acute cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, and exerts neuroprotective effects.

Electroacupuncture at the Baihui acupoint alleviates cognitive impairment and exerts neuroprotective effects by modulating the expression and processing of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common human neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive deterioration of cognition and memory. Acupuncture at the Baihui (DU20) acupoint has long been used in China to clinically treat cognitive impairment. However, the precise mechanism underlying its neuroprotective effects remains to be elucidated. In the present study, electroacupuncture (EA) at the Baihui (DU20) acupoint was observed to markedly ameliorate cognitive impairments, reduce the aberrant overexpression of β-amyloid(1-42), and inhibit neuronal apoptosis in APP/PS1 mice. As brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of AD, the expression and processing of BDNF in APP/PS1 mice was investigated. EA at the Baihui (DU20) acupoint was indicated to significantly enhance the expression levels of mature BDNF and proBDNF in APP/PS1 mice. Furthermore, an increase in the BDNF/proBDNF ratio, upregulation of the expression levels of phosphorylated tropomyosin receptor kinase B and a decrease in the expression level of p75 neurotrophin receptor were also observed in the APP/PS1 mice. The present study demonstrates the efficacy of EA at the Baihui (DU20) acupoint in the treatment of cognitive impairments in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. The present study hypothesized that modulation of BDNF expression and processing may be the underlying mechanism by which stimulation of the Baihui (DU20) acupoint exerts its neuroprotective effect.

Electroacupuncture ameliorates learning and memory in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting oxidative stress and promoting p-CREB expression in the hippocampus.

The present study aimed to investigate the mechanisms by which electroacupuncture (EA) ameliorates learning and memory in rats with cerebral ischemic‑reperfusion (I/R) injury. Focal cerebral ischemia was induced in adult male Sprague‑Dawley (SD) rats by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Following MCAO surgery, the rats received EA at the Shenting (DU24) and Baihui (DU20) acupoints. The results of the present study demonstrated that treatment with EA significantly ameliorated neurological deficits and reduced cerebral infarct volume (P<0.05). In addition, EA improved the learning and memory ability of the rats, and markedly activated the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element‑binding protein (CREB) signaling pathway, resulting in the inhibition of cerebral cell apoptosis in the ischemic penumbra. Furthermore, EA increased the activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, the protein expression levels of phosphorylated‑CREB and B‑cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‑2), and the mRNA expression levels of Bcl‑2. Conversely, EA decreased the levels of malondialdehyde and inhibited the expression levels of Bcl2‑associated X protein. The results of the present study suggest that treatment with EA may result in the amelioration of learning and memory ability in rats with cerebral I/R injury.

The impact of electroacupuncture on the expression of AQP4 and CLN5 in the blood-brain barrier after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion

Objective To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment of different durations on the expressions of AQP4 and CLN5 in the blood-brain barrier after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion Methods Sixty-four male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a model group, a sham operation group, a 7-day EA-pretreatment group (EAP-7 group) and a 15-day EA-pretreatment group (EAP-15 group), each of 16. After EA-pretreatment on the baihui and shuigou acupoints for 7 days or 15 days, a model of unilateral middle cerebral artery embolism (MCAO) model was induced in the rats of the model, EAP-7 and EAP-15 group using a modified Longa method. In the sham operation group the carotid artery was separated without middle cerebral artery embolism. The reperfusion was begun 90 min after the MCAO modeling. Immunohistochemical methods and fluorescence quantitative PCR were applied to detect the expression of AQP4, CLN5 and their mRNAs expression in the blood brain barrier (BBB) 24h after the operation. Results Compared with the sham operation group, the expression of AQP4 positive cells and AQP4 mRNA in the BBB in the other three groups had increased significantly, while the expression of CLN5 positive cells and CLN5 mRNA was significantly less. Compared with the model group, the expression of AQP4 positive cells and AQP4 mRNA in the EAP-7 and EAP-15 groups was significantly reduced, while the expression of CLN5 positive cells and CLN5 mRNA was significantly increased. Moreover, the expression of AQP4 positive cells and AQP4 mRNA in the EAP-15 group were significantly higher than in the EAP-7 group, while the expression of CLN5 positive cells and CLN5 mRNA were significantly lower. Conclusions EA-pretreatment on the baihui and shuigou acupoints can restrain the expression of AQP4-positive cells and AQP4 mRNA and promote that of CLN5-positive cells and CLN5 mRNA in the BBB after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion, at least in rats. The BBB protection effect is better when the EA-pretreatment lasts longer. The mechanisms of cerebral ischemia tolerance may be related to the regulation of AQP4, CLN5 and their mRNAs in the blood-brain barrier after cerebral injury. Key words: Acupuncture; Cerebral ischemia; Reperfusion; Blood-brain barrier; AQP4; CLN5

Anti-depression effects of electroacupuncture through up-regulating serum E2 and BDNF and expression of BDNF in hippocampus in chronic depression rats

Objective To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at acupoints Baihui (GV 20), Neiguan (PC 6) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) on the levels of estradiol (E2) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in serum, as well as the expression of BDNF in hippocampus in chronic depression rat models.

Modified VitalStim electroacupuncture improves the speech function in patients with spastic dysarthria after stroke

Background:Dysarthria, a motor speech disorder, results from neurological injury (stroke mostly) of the motor component of the motor-speech system, often makes it difficult to pronounce words. Dysarthria are treated by speech therapists, using a variety of techniques. The VitalStim therapy system is an adjunctive modality proofed by Food and Drug Administration to traditional exercise that unites the power of electrical stimulation with the benefits of swallowing exercises. In our previous study, we found thatmodifiedVitalStim electroacupuncture could benefit patients with dysphagia after stroke. The question is: whether modified VitalStim electroacupuncture would also make sence in stroke patients with dysarthria. Purpose: To observe the therapeutic effects of modified VitalStimelectroacupuncture onpatientswith dysarthria after stroke. Methods: 32 patients with spastic dysarthria after stroke within one month were randomly divided into VitalStim group (n= 16) and control group (n= 16). Basic medical therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy were used in both group. Additionally, modified VitalStim electroacupuncture at acupoints of Yiming (EXHN14), Fengchi (GB20), Dazhui (BU14), Lianquan (RN23), Baihui (DU20) and lateral Jinjinyuye was performed in Vitalstim group. Patients in VitalStim group received extra 30-minute VitalStim therapy once a day, for a total of 28 days.Theoutcomeswere evaluatedbyusingmodifiedBarthel index (MBI) andFrenchay dysarthria assessment (FDA).And the practical significance of VitalStim electroacupuncture were statistical analyzed. Results: MBI increased significantly after treatment in both groups (P 0.05) except for the two items in relation to tongue alternate and jaw in speech. Conclusion(s): The study has showed that the general speech training and modified VitalStim electroacupuncture therapy in early stage of stroke patients can both improve the speech function and ADLs. Moreover, speech training combined with modified VitalStim electroacupuncture therapy has improved those functions more efficiently. Meanwhile, the benefits of this therapy on patients with dysarthria in their convalescence stage of stroke is recommended for further study. Implications:The application ofmodifiedVitalStim electroacupuncture therapy on patients with spastic dysarthria after stroke could improve their speech function, and achieve to the targeted ADLs, which may be promoted in the treatment of dysarthria.

The role of glutamate transporter-1 in the acquisition of brain ischaemic tolerance in rats induced by electro-acupuncture pre-treatment

Objective: To investigate whether electro-acupuncture can serve as a method of inducing brain ischaemic tolerance (BIT) by encouraging the expression of glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) and suppressing the release of glutamate (Glu).Methods: Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into sham, ischaemia and EA groups. EA was performed on dazhui and baihui acupoints and the rat cerebral ischaemia model was achieved by occluding the middle cerebral artery (MCA) for 2 hours, followed by reperfusion. Dialysate was collected from the striatum in vivo to detect the concentration of Glu and the expression of Glutamate Transporter-1 (GLT-1) was examined. The changes of neurological deficit scores were evaluated at 24 hours after reperfusion, while the infarct volumes of brains were then measured with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining.Results: Compared with the ischaemia group, the concentration of Glu decreased and the expression of GLT-1 increased at most of the detective time points in the EA group; the neurological deficit scores were lower and the infarct volumes were smaller in the EA group.Conclusion: EA can up-regulate the expression of GLT-1 and inhibit the excessive release of Glu in the striatum in the process of subsequent ischaemic-reperfusion brain injury, which may be one of the mechanisms of inducing BIT and, thus, be neuroprotective for early ischaemic brain injury.

Effect of remote limb ischemic postconditioning combined with electro-acupuncture postconditioning on focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats

Objective To evaluate the effect of remote limb ischemic postconditioning(RLIP)combined with electro-acupuncture postconditioning(EAP)on focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion(I/R)injury in rats. Methods Seventy male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 220-250 g, were randomly assigned into 5 groups(n=14 each)using a random number table: sham operation group(group S), group I/R, RLIP group, EAP group and RLIP combined with EAP group(group RLIP+ EAP). Focal cerebral I/R was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO). MCAO was maintained for 120 min.The animals were subjected to 3 cycles of 15 min ischemia of bilateral hind limbs followed by 30 s reperfusion starting from onset of reperfusion.Dazhui and Baihui acupoints were stimulated with electric stimulator(frequency 15 Hz/2 Hz, intensity 1 mA)for 30 min starting from onset of reperfusion.Neurological deficit scores(NDSs)were evaluated at 24 h of reperfusion.The animals were then sacrificed and brains were removed to measure the infarct size and for microscopic examination of pathological changes in hippocampal CA1 region.The number of survival neurons was counted.The apoptosis in neurons was determined by TUNEL.Apoptosis index was calculated. Results Compared with group S, the NDSs, percentage of cerebral infarct size and AI were significantly increased, and the number of survival neurons was decreased in the other four groups.Compared with group I/R, the NDSs, percentage of cerebral infarct size and AI were significantly decreased, and the number of survival neurons was increased in EAP, RLIP and RLIP+ EAP groups.Compared with RLIP and EAP groups, the NDSs, percentage of cerebral infarct size and AI were significantly decreased, and the number of survival neurons was increased in group RLIP+ EAP. Conclusion The combination of RLIP and EAP provides better efficacy than either alone in attenuating focal cerebral I/R injury in rats. Key words: Electric stimulation therapy; Brain; Reperfusion injury; Extremities; Ischemic postconditioning

Electroacupuncture Suppressed Neuronal Apoptosis and Improved Cognitive Impairment in the AD Model Rats Possibly via Downregulation of Notch Signaling Pathway.

Acupuncture is a potential strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the possible mechanisms worth to be explored. In this study, we proposed and tested the hypothesis that whether Notch signaling pathway is involved in the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) treatment. Rats that received EA treatment on the acupoints of Baihui (Du 20) and Shenshu (BL 23) had shorter latency and remained in the original platform quadrant longer and crossed the former platform contained quadrant more frequently compared to the Aβ injection rats without EA treatment. EA obviously alleviated the cell apoptosis resulted by Aβ infusion in hippocampus CA1 regions through upregulating the expression of Bcl-2 and downregulating the expression of Bax. EA could further obviously promote the expression of synapsin-1 and synaptophysin in hippocampus. Aβ injection significantly increased the expression of Notch1, Jag1, and Hes1 mRNA, while EA treatment downregulated the level of Notch1 and Hes1 mRNA in hippocampus, but not Jag1 mRNA. Our data suggested that EA treatment improved learning and memory function in the AD rat model partially through downregulating Notch signaling pathway.

Altered Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuation Induced by Acupuncture at Baihui Acupoint: A Pilot Functional MRI Study

Baihui (GV20), an important acupoint of the Governor Vessel according to the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory of acupuncture, is usually used for treatments of psychiatric disorders. However, studies about relationships between the brain activities and GV20 are limited. In the present study, we thereby tried to investigate specific pattern of brain activities induced by electroacupuncture stimulation (EAS) at GV20. Thirty three healthy subjects were enrolled in this study for MRI scanning. Each subject underwent EAS at GV20 and at sham acupoint, separately. Based on sustained effects of acupuncture, amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF/fALFF) methods were used to examine different ALFF and fALFF patterns of the whole brain induced by GV20 with comparison to the ones induced by sham acupoint. Results showed that GV20 induced altered ALFF/fALFF in the brain regions, including the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), orbital frontal cortex (OFC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and middle cingulate cortex (MCC), temporal cortex (TC), supplementary motor area (SMA), precuneus, thalamus, hippocampus (HIPP), insula, putamen and cerebellum compared to sham acupoint. Our findings might present the specific neural responses to EAS at GV20 using ALFF and fALFF methods, and may further provide preliminary evidence for understanding the mechanisms of GV20.

Yellow laser acupuncture - A new option for prevention and early intervention of lifestyle-related diseases: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial in volunteers.

The yellow laser constitutes a totally new option in the field of laser acupuncture, in addition to the already existing red, near infrared, green and violet lasers. Especially for so called lifestyle-related diseases, this could open up new methods of integrative therapy. The goal of the present study was to investigate among other parameters blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and temperature effects before, during, and after stimulation of different acupoints with yellow laser. We recruited 26 healthy volunteers (13 female, 13 male; mean age ± SD 24.1 ± 3.3 years) at the Medical University of Graz. The acupoints Baihui, Neiguan, Taichong and a placebo point were stimulated with a 589 nm (50 mW, 500 µm; 5 min) yellow laser. Blood pressure was measured noninvasively at the wrist; for the registration of the electrocardiogram a medilog AR12 HRV system was used. Effects on temperature were measured with a Flir i7 infrared camera. There were significant decreases after yellow laser acupuncture in the systolic BP, diastolic BP also decreased (n.s.). HRV in both (men and women) increased. The temperature during the yellow laser stimulation decreased significantly in all measured points. After the stimulation it increased again significantly. Based on a questionnaire volunteers reported a significantly decreased level of stress after yellow laser stimulation. Significant positive effects on BP and well-being were found after yellow laser stimulation. The results are very promising and can be very important especially for the treatment of lifestyle related diseases.

Electroacupuncture preconditioning attenuates ischemic brain injury by activation of the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.

Electroacupuncture has therapeutic effects on ischemic brain injury, but its mechanism is still poorly understood. In this study, mice were stimulated by electroacupuncture at the Baihui (GV20) acupoint for 30 minutes at 1 mA and 2/15 Hz for 5 consecutive days. A cerebral ischemia model was established by ligating the bilateral common carotid artery for 15 minutes. At 72 hours after injury, neuronal injury in the mouse hippocampus had lessened, and the number of terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive cells reduced after electroacupuncture treatment. Moreover, expression of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) and phosphorylated AMPKα was up-regulated. Intraperitoneal injection of the AMPK antagonist, compound C, suppressed this phenomenon. Our findings suggest that electroacupuncture preconditioning alleviates ischemic brain injury via AMPK activation.

Electroacupuncture at the Zusanli and Baihui acupoints ameliorates type-2 diabetes-induced reductions in proliferating cells and differentiated neuroblasts in the hippocampal dentate gyrus with increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels.

In the current study, we investigated whether electroacupuncture (EA) can inhibit pathological reductions in neurogenesis. Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats at 7 weeks of age were anesthetized with zoletil, and sham-acupuncture or EA at the Zusanli (ST36) and Baihui (GV20) acupoints was administered once a day for 5 weeks. In the ZDF group that received sham-EA (ZDF-Sham group), the blood glucose level was significantly increased together with age as compared to the control littermates [Zucker lean control (ZLC) rat]. In contrast, proliferating cells and differentiated neuroblasts were significantly decreased in the ZDF-Sham group compared to the ZLC group. Although EA treatment decreased blood glucose levels, this was not statistically significant when compared to blood glucose levels changes in the ZDF-Sham group. However, proliferating cells and differentiated neuroblasts were significantly increased with EA in ZDF rats as compared to those in the ZDF-Sham group. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were significantly decreased in hippocampal homogenates of ZDF-Sham group compared to those in the ZLC group. The EA treatment significantly increased the BDNF levels compared to those in the ZDF-Sham group, and BDNF levels in this group were similar to those in the ZLC group. These results suggest that EA at ST36 and GV20 can ameliorate the reductions in proliferating cells and differentiated neuroblasts in the dentate gyrus induced by type-2 diabetes without significantly reducing blood glucose levels with increasing BDNF levels.

Acupuncture stimulation improves scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment via activation of cholinergic system and regulation of BDNF and CREB expressions in rats.

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.

Effect of electro-acupuncture pretreatment on endoplasmic reticulum stress during global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats

Objective To evaluate the effect of electro-acupuncture pretreatment on endoplasmic reticulum stress during global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion （I/R ） in rats .Methods One hundred and forty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats ,weighing 400-500 g ,were randomly divided into 3 groups （ n=48 each） using a random number table：sham operation group （group S ） , I/R group and electro-acupuncture pretreatment group （group EA） .Global cerebral I/R was induced by 4-vessel occlusion method .Bilateral vertebral arteries were permanently occluded by cauterization and bilateral carotid arteries were occluded for 5 min , followed by reperfusion .Electro-acupuncture of Dazhui and Baihui acupoints lasting for 30 min was performed once a day for 5 consecutive days starting from 5 days before ischemia in group EA .At 6 ,12 ,24 and 48 h of reperfusion ,12 rats were sacrificed in each group and hippocampi were removed for microscopic examination and for determination of apoptosis rate （by TUNEL ） and expression of growth arrest-and DNA damage-inducible gene 153 （GADD153 ） protein （by Western blot ） .Results Compared with group S ,the apoptosis rate was significantly increased and the expression of GADD153 protein was up-regulated at 6 ,12 ,24 and 48 h of reperfusion in I/R and EA groups （ P〈0.05） .Compared with group I/R ,the apoptosis rate was significantly decreased and the expression of GADD 153 protein was down-regulated at 6 ,12 ,24 and 48 h of reperfusion in group EA （ P〈 0.05） .The pathological changes were significantly attenuated in group EA as compared with group I/R .Conclusion Electro-acupuncture pretreatment can down-regulate the expression of GADD 153 protein , reduce endoplasmic reticulum stress , and decrease cell apoptosis ,thus attenuating global cerebral I/R injury in rats . Key words: Electric stimulation therapy; Reperfusion injury; Brain; Endoplasmic reticulum