Effects of Electroacupuncture on Learning and Cerebral Heme Oxygenase Activity in Rats with Vascular Dementia

[Objective] To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on learning and cerebral heme oxygenase (HO) activity in rats with vascular dementia (VD). [Methods] Sixty rats were randomly allocated to mimic group (Group A), EA group (Group B), nimotone group (Group C) and model group (Group D) . Rat models of VD were established by 4 - vessel occulusion (4 - VO) method. Ten days after modeling, Group B was trested with EA on Baihui (GV20) and Dazhui (GV14), one time per day; Group C with nimotone, 20ml/kg body weight, ig, qd. The treatment course lasted 15 days. And then the learning was estimated with Morris water maze and HO activity in cortex and hippocampus (HC) of rats was also measured. [Results] Mean escape latency within 6 days in EA group was shorter than that in model group ( P0.01) but did not differ from that in nimotone group (P 0.05). In EA group, the swimming times in the original platform quadrant were more than that in the right, left or opposite quadrant and also more than that in the original platform quadrant in the model group (P 0.01). HO activity in EA group and nimotone group were lower than that in model group (P0.01). [Conclusion] EA can improve the learning and regulate HO activity in cortex and hippocampus of rats with vascular dementia.