Electroacupuncture at the Baihui acupoint alleviates cognitive impairment and exerts neuroprotective effects by modulating the expression and processing of brain‑derived neurotrophic factor in APP/PS1 transgenic mice

Lin,Ruhui; Chen,Jixiang; Li,Xiaojie; Mao,Jingjie; Wu,Yunan; Zhuo,Peiyuan; Zhang,Yinzheng; Liu,Weilin; Huang,Jia; Tao,Jing; Chen,Li‑Dian

doi:10.3892/mmr.2015.4751

Electroacupuncture at the Baihui acupoint alleviates cognitive impairment and exerts neuroprotective effects by modulating the expression and processing of brain‑derived neurotrophic factor in APP/PS1 transgenic mice

Authors:
- Ruhui Lin
- Jixiang Chen
- Xiaojie Li
- Jingjie Mao
- Yunan Wu
- Peiyuan Zhuo
- Yinzheng Zhang
- Weilin Liu
- Jia Huang
- Jing Tao
- Li‑Dian Chen
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Affiliations: College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China, Academy of Integrative Medicine Biomedical Research Center, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China
Published online on: December 31, 2015 https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2015.4751
Pages: 1611-1617
Copyright: © Lin et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common human neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive deterioration of cognition and memory. Acupuncture at the Baihui (DU20) acupoint has long been used in China to clinically treat cognitive impairment. However, the precise mechanism underlying its neuroprotective effects remains to be elucidated. In the present study, electroacupuncture (EA) at the Baihui (DU20) acupoint was observed to markedly ameliorate cognitive impairments, reduce the aberrant overexpression of β‑amyloid(1‑42), and inhibit neuronal apoptosis in APP/PS1 mice. As brain‑derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of AD, the expression and processing of BDNF in APP/PS1 mice was investigated. EA at the Baihui (DU20) acupoint was indicated to significantly enhance the expression levels of mature BDNF and proBDNF in APP/PS1 mice. Furthermore, an increase in the BDNF/proBDNF ratio, upregulation of the expression levels of phosphorylated tropomyosin receptor kinase B and a decrease in the expression level of p75 neurotrophin receptor were also observed in the APP/PS1 mice. The present study demonstrates the efficacy of EA at the Baihui (DU20) acupoint in the treatment of cognitive impairments in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. The present study hypothesized that modulation of BDNF expression and processing may be the underlying mechanism by which stimulation of the Baihui (DU20) acupoint exerts its neuroprotective effect.

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