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Neuroprotective Effects of Electroacupuncture Preventive Treatment in Senescence-Accelerated Mouse Prone 8 Mice

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Abstract

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.

Conclusion

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.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge Prof. CHEN Qing-xuan, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for kindly offering the SAMP8 and SAMR1 mice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 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 He

  2. Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China

    Shi-hui Zhao, Yu-ying Cai, Yan-yun Wang, Yong-ming Ye & Bao-hui Jia

  3. Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100010, China

    Wei You

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  1. Xiao-li He
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  2. Shi-hui Zhao
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  3. Wei You
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  5. Yan-yun Wang
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  7. Bao-hui Jia
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bao-hui Jia.

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Supported by the National Natureal Science Foundation of China (No. 30701121)

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He, Xl., Zhao, Sh., You, W. et al. Neuroprotective Effects of Electroacupuncture Preventive Treatment in Senescence-Accelerated Mouse Prone 8 Mice. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 24, 133–139 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-016-2265-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-016-2265-z

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