Open AccessAcupuncture and moxibustion reduces neuronal edema in Alzheimer′s disease rats
Author(s) -
Hua Zhou,
Guangling Sun,
Li-Hong Kong,
Yuhao Du,
Shi Feng,
ShuJu Wang,
Chen Bang-guo,
Xiaoling Zeng
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
neural regeneration research/neural regeneration research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.93
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1876-7958
pISSN - 1673-5374
DOI - 10.4103/1673-5374.133148
Subject(s) - moxibustion , wnt signaling pathway , electroacupuncture , medicine , neuroprotection , acupuncture , neuroscience , signal transduction , catenin , hippocampus , disease , pathological , cancer research , pharmacology , pathology , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , alternative medicine
To examine the possible correlation of aberrant Wnt signaling and pathological changes in Alzheimer's disease, we established a rat model of Alzheimer's disease and measured axin and β-catenin expression in the hippocampus. Rats were pretreated with moxibustion or electroacupuncture, or both, at Baihui (GV20) and Shenshu (BL23). Axin expression was lower, β-catenin expression was greater, and neuronal cytoplasmic edema was visibly prevented in the rats that had received the pretreatments. Our results suggest that the mechanism underlying the neuroprotective effect of acupuncture and moxibustion in Alzheimer's disease is associated with axin and β-catenin expression in the Wnt signal transduction pathway.