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Electroacupuncture improves cognitive deficits associated with AMPK activation in SAMP8 mice

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Abstract

Perturbations of brain energy metabolism are involved in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK) is a master energy sensor that monitors the levels of key energy metabolites. Electroacupuncture (EA) has demonstrated therapeutic potential for the treatment of AD. The effects of EA on cognitive functions and the changes of AMPK and its phosphorylated form (p-AMPK) expression were investigated in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice. Cognitive function of SAMP8 mice was assessed using Morris water maze test after EA treatment. Then mice were sacrificed for immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. EA stimulation significantly alleviated memory impairment of AD mice, and increased the levels of p-AMPK in the hippocampus. These results suggest that EA improved cognitive function associated with AMPK activation, AMPK may be a molecular target of EA in treating AD.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by project 81102625 supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China and project 2012 J05154 supported by Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province Grants. The authors have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350122, Peoples Republic of China

    Weiguo Dong, Xuehua Zheng, Feng Wang, Yue Chen, Wenguang Zhang & Hong Shi

  2. The Third people’s Hospital of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350122, Peoples Republic of China

    Wanqing Guo

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  1. Weiguo Dong
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  2. Wanqing Guo
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  3. Xuehua Zheng
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  4. Feng Wang
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  7. Hong Shi
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Correspondence to Weiguo Dong.

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Dong, W., Guo, W., Zheng, X. et al. Electroacupuncture improves cognitive deficits associated with AMPK activation in SAMP8 mice. Metab Brain Dis 30, 777–784 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-014-9641-1

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