Effect of Electroacupuncture on Learning and Memory and Heme Oxygenase in Rats with Vascular Dementia

[Objective] To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the disorder of learning and memory in rats with vascular dementia (VD) and to explore its molecular mechanism. [Methods] Among 60 male SD rats, 10 rats were in sham-operation group and the other 50 rats were used to establish models of global ischemia and reperfusion by four-vessel occlusion (4-VO) method. Then the survival model rats were randomized into EA group (n = 14) , model group (n = 13) and nimotop group (n = 13). EA group was treated with EA at points of Baihui (GV20) and Dazhui (GV14) , nimotop group with nimotop 12 mg/kg, and sham-operation group and model group did not receive any treatment. After a 20-day treatment, the changes of learning and memory behavior in rats were detected by Morris water maze, as well as the protein expression and mRNA expression of heme oxygenase (HO) . [Results] The escape latent period, HO-1 protein expression and HO-1 mRNA-expression were increased obviously in model rats ( P 0.01 compared with the sham-operation group), and decreased obviously in EA and nimotop groups (P 0.01 or P 0.05 compared with the model group) . The differences of the above three parameters were insignificant between EA group and nimotop group (P 0.05). [Conclusion] EA can improve the learning and memory behavior in rats with VD and this may be related to the decrease of HO-1 protein expression and HO-1 mRNA-expression in cortex and hippocampal neurons.