Effects of acupuncture on the ultrastructure of hippocampus of neural stem cell of Alzheimer’s disease rats

Objective:To observe the effects of acupuncture on the ultrastructure of hippocampus of Neural stem cell of Alzheimer's disease(AD) rats and discuss the mechanism of acupuncture on the AD.Methods:The model was made by injection β-AP to CA1 of hippocampus,the rats were randomized into five groups,including normal,model,transplant,acupuncture and transplant acupuncture group,12 rats of each group.Baihui(DU20),Dazhui(GV14) and Renzhong(DU26) were selected as acupoints and used electric acupuncture apparatus.The memory ability was measured by use of the diving tower of rats and the ultrastructure of hippocampus were observed by electron microscope.Results:The times of the ability of study and memory of step down in transplant acupuncture group were less than the model group(P0.05),moreover it significantly better than transplant group(P0.05);the neurons of AD rats in brain hippocampus were damaged in varying degrees.The cytoplasms in hippocampus of the model group became obvious edema,the heterochromatin abviously increased;while the damaged degree of the neuron in hippocampus in the transplant acupuncture group was clearly decreased than the model group.Conclusion:The structure of nerve cell in AD rats could be abviously protected by the electric acupuncture,and the damaged neurons were decreased.Electric needle combined with transplant treatment had a better effect than others.