Electroacupuncture ameliorates cognitive impairment through inhibition of NF-κB-mediated neuronal cell apoptosis in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injured rats.

Abstract

Cognitive impairment is a serious mental deficit following stroke that severely affects the quality of life of stroke survivors. Nuclear factor‑κB (NF-κB)-mediated neuronal cell apoptosis is involved in the development of post-stroke cognitive impairment; therefore, it has become a promising target for the treatment of impaired cognition. Acupuncture at the Baihui (DU20) and Shenting (DU24) acupoints is commonly used in China to clinically treat post‑stroke cognitive impairment; however, the precise mechanism of its action is largely unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of electroacupuncture against post-stroke cognitive impairment and investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms using a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Electroacupuncture at Baihui and Shenting was identified to significantly ameliorate neurological deficits and reduce cerebral infarct volume. Additionally, electroacupuncture improved learning and memory ability in cerebral I/R injured rats, demonstrating its therapeutic efficacy against post-stroke cognitive impairment. Furthermore, electroacupuncture significantly suppressed the I/R-induced activation of NF-κB signaling in ischemic cerebral tissues. The inhibitory effect of electroacupuncture on NF-κB activation led to the inhibition of cerebral cell apoptosis. Finally, electroacupuncture markedly downregulated the expression of pro-apoptotic Bax and Fas, two critical downstream target genes of the NF-κB pathway. Collectively, our findings suggest that inhibition of NF-κB‑mediated neuronal cell apoptosis may be one mechanism via which electroacupuncture at Baihui and Shenting exerts a therapeutic effect on post-stroke cognitive impairment.

• Authors: Xiaodong Feng, Shanli Yang, Jiao Liu, Jia Huang, Jun Peng, Jiumao Lin, Jing Tao, Lidian Chen
• Journal: Molecular medicine reports (Mol Med Rep) Vol. 7 Issue 5 Pg. 1516-22 (May 2013) ISSN: 1791-3004 [Electronic] Greece
• PMID: 23525450 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Fas protein, rat
• NF-kappa B
• bcl-2-Associated X Protein
• fas Receptor

Topics

• Acupuncture Points
• Animals
• Apoptosis
• Brain Ischemia (complications, metabolism, pathology, physiopathology)
• Cell Nucleus (metabolism)
• Cerebral Infarction
• Cognition Disorders (complications, metabolism, pathology, therapy)
• Down-Regulation
• Electroacupuncture
• Male
• NF-kappa B (metabolism)
• Neurons (metabolism, pathology)
• Protein Transport
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Reperfusion Injury (complications, metabolism, pathology, physiopathology)
• Signal Transduction
• bcl-2-Associated X Protein (genetics, metabolism)
• fas Receptor (genetics, metabolism)