Electroacupuncture at Baihui acupoint (GV20) reverses behavior deficit and long-term potentiation through N-methyl-d-aspartate and transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 receptors in middle cerebral artery occlusion rats

J Integr Neurosci. 2010 Sep;9(3):269-82. doi: 10.1142/s0219635210002433.

Abstract

Vascular dementia is one of the most important causes that account for 20-40% of all dementia cases. The aim of this study was to investigate whether electroacupuncture can reduce behavior deficit and long-term potentiation (LTP) in vascular dementia. Here we used a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) technique to induce a vascular dementia model with additional electroacupuncture (EA) manipulation. Behaviors were impaired in animals with MCAo, and similar results were observed with long-term potentiation induction. MCAo decreased the expression of LTP from 180.4±14.9% to 112.5±18.3%, suggesting that cerebral ischemia could impair the hippocampal LTP. In addition, immunostaining results showed that the expressions of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subtype 1 (NR1) and transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1) receptors were significantly increased in the hippocampal CA1 areas. Noticeably, these phenomena can be reversed by 2 Hz EA at Baihui acupoint (GV20) for six consecutive days. Our results support a rescue role of 2 Hz EA for MCAo-induced behavior and LTP impairment. These results also suggest that NMDAR1 and TRPV1 may be involved in this pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acupuncture Points
  • Animals
  • Behavioral Symptoms / etiology
  • Behavioral Symptoms / pathology
  • Behavioral Symptoms / therapy*
  • Biophysics
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Electric Stimulation / methods
  • Electroacupuncture / methods*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / physiology
  • Glutamic Acid / metabolism
  • Hippocampus / cytology
  • Hippocampus / physiology
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / complications
  • Long-Term Potentiation / physiology*
  • Male
  • Patch-Clamp Techniques
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / metabolism*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • TRPV Cation Channels / metabolism*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • NMDA receptor A1
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
  • TRPV Cation Channels
  • TRPV1 receptor
  • Glutamic Acid