Effects of Electroacupuncture on AD Model Rats Neuronal Apoptosis and Impact on Learning and Memory Capability

Objective:To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture on AD model rats neuronalapoptosis and impact on learning and memory capability.Methods:Divided healthy SD rats 40randomly into normal group,sham-operated group,model group and electroacupuncture group.Established AD model with A-amyloid1-40 protein microinjection into bilateral Meynert basalganglia of rats.Treated the electroacupuncture group with electroacupuncture.After one monthtreatment,applied Morris water maze to investigate the learning and memory capability of rats,thenkilled the rats and detected the apoptosis percentage in cortex and hippocampus neurons.Results:The model group appeared with disturbance of learning and memory,and had a gradual increase,more significant after 4 weeks.There was higher neurons apoptosis propotion in hippocampus areaand cortex area,and in the electroacupuncture group can be observed significant improvement(P 0.01).Conclusion:With A injection into rats Meynert nuclear can cause persistent learning andmemory dysfunction and cholinergic neurons apoptosis,electro-acupuncture therapy can improvelearning and memory capability in AD rats,also inhibit neuronal apoptosis.