Electroacupuncture attenuates cognition impairment via anti-neuroinflammation in an Alzheimer’s disease animal model
Abstract Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of cognitive abilities and memory leading to dementia. Electroacupuncture (EA) is a complementary alternative medicine approach, applying an electrical current to acupuncture points. In cli...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2019-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Neuroinflammation |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-019-1665-3 |
| _version_ | 1818352715356438528 |
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| author | Mudan Cai Jun-Hwan Lee Eun Jin Yang |
| author_facet | Mudan Cai Jun-Hwan Lee Eun Jin Yang |
| author_sort | Mudan Cai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of cognitive abilities and memory leading to dementia. Electroacupuncture (EA) is a complementary alternative medicine approach, applying an electrical current to acupuncture points. In clinical and animal studies, EA causes cognitive improvements in AD and vascular dementia. However, EA-induced changes in cognition and microglia-mediated amyloid β (Aβ) degradation have not been determined yet in AD animals. Therefore, this study investigated the EA-induced molecular mechanisms causing cognitive improvement and anti-inflammatory activity in five familial mutation (5XFAD) mice, an animal model of AD. Methods 5XFAD mice were bilaterally treated with EA at the Taegye (KI3) acupoints three times per week for 2 weeks. To evaluate the effects of EA treatment on cognitive functions, novel object recognition and Y-maze tests were performed with non-Tg, 5XFAD (Tg), and EA-treated 5XFAD (Tg + KI3) mice. To examine the molecular mechanisms underlying EA effects, western blots, immunohistochemistry, and micro-positron emission tomography scans were performed. Furthermore, we studied synapse ultrastructures with transmission electron microscopy and used electrophysiology to investigate EA effects on synaptic plasticity in 5XFAD mice. Results EA treatment significantly improved working memory and synaptic plasticity, alleviated neuroinflammation, and reduced ultrastructural degradation of synapses via upregulation of synaptophysin and postsynaptic density-95 protein in 5XFAD mice. Furthermore, microglia-mediated Aβ deposition was reduced after EA treatment and coincided with a reduction in amyloid precursor protein. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that EA treatment ameliorates cognitive impairment via inhibition of synaptic degeneration and neuroinflammation in a mouse model of AD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T18:58:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d2377b137fe14ab695e1c35d0e670d9f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1742-2094 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T18:58:02Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Neuroinflammation |
| spelling | doaj.art-d2377b137fe14ab695e1c35d0e670d9f2022-12-21T23:34:46ZengBMCJournal of Neuroinflammation1742-20942019-12-0116111210.1186/s12974-019-1665-3Electroacupuncture attenuates cognition impairment via anti-neuroinflammation in an Alzheimer’s disease animal modelMudan Cai0Jun-Hwan Lee1Eun Jin Yang2Department of Herbal Medicine Research, Korea Institute of Oriental MedicineDepartment of Clinical Research, Korea Institute of Oriental MedicineDepartment of Clinical Research, Korea Institute of Oriental MedicineAbstract Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of cognitive abilities and memory leading to dementia. Electroacupuncture (EA) is a complementary alternative medicine approach, applying an electrical current to acupuncture points. In clinical and animal studies, EA causes cognitive improvements in AD and vascular dementia. However, EA-induced changes in cognition and microglia-mediated amyloid β (Aβ) degradation have not been determined yet in AD animals. Therefore, this study investigated the EA-induced molecular mechanisms causing cognitive improvement and anti-inflammatory activity in five familial mutation (5XFAD) mice, an animal model of AD. Methods 5XFAD mice were bilaterally treated with EA at the Taegye (KI3) acupoints three times per week for 2 weeks. To evaluate the effects of EA treatment on cognitive functions, novel object recognition and Y-maze tests were performed with non-Tg, 5XFAD (Tg), and EA-treated 5XFAD (Tg + KI3) mice. To examine the molecular mechanisms underlying EA effects, western blots, immunohistochemistry, and micro-positron emission tomography scans were performed. Furthermore, we studied synapse ultrastructures with transmission electron microscopy and used electrophysiology to investigate EA effects on synaptic plasticity in 5XFAD mice. Results EA treatment significantly improved working memory and synaptic plasticity, alleviated neuroinflammation, and reduced ultrastructural degradation of synapses via upregulation of synaptophysin and postsynaptic density-95 protein in 5XFAD mice. Furthermore, microglia-mediated Aβ deposition was reduced after EA treatment and coincided with a reduction in amyloid precursor protein. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that EA treatment ameliorates cognitive impairment via inhibition of synaptic degeneration and neuroinflammation in a mouse model of AD.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-019-1665-3Alzheimer’s diseaseElectroacupunctureCognitive functionNeuroinflammation |
| spellingShingle | Mudan Cai Jun-Hwan Lee Eun Jin Yang Electroacupuncture attenuates cognition impairment via anti-neuroinflammation in an Alzheimer’s disease animal model Journal of Neuroinflammation Alzheimer’s disease Electroacupuncture Cognitive function Neuroinflammation |
| title | Electroacupuncture attenuates cognition impairment via anti-neuroinflammation in an Alzheimer’s disease animal model |
| title_full | Electroacupuncture attenuates cognition impairment via anti-neuroinflammation in an Alzheimer’s disease animal model |
| title_fullStr | Electroacupuncture attenuates cognition impairment via anti-neuroinflammation in an Alzheimer’s disease animal model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Electroacupuncture attenuates cognition impairment via anti-neuroinflammation in an Alzheimer’s disease animal model |
| title_short | Electroacupuncture attenuates cognition impairment via anti-neuroinflammation in an Alzheimer’s disease animal model |
| title_sort | electroacupuncture attenuates cognition impairment via anti neuroinflammation in an alzheimer s disease animal model |
| topic | Alzheimer’s disease Electroacupuncture Cognitive function Neuroinflammation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-019-1665-3 |
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