Electroacupuncture inhibits hippocampal neuronal apoptosis and improves cognitive dysfunction in mice with vascular dementia via the JNK signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to reduce cognitive impairment in vascular dementia (VaD) patients. However, the mechanism of action remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway plays an important role in apoptosis. Herein, we focused on whether EA can inhibit apoptosis and alleviate cognitive impairment by regulating the JNK signaling pathway using a mouse model of VaD induced by modified bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAo). METHODS: In experiment I, 60 mice were randomly divided into a Sham group, BCCAo group, BCCAo + EA group, BCCAo + Sham-EA group, BCCAo + SP group (receiving the selective JNK inhibitor SP600125) and BCCAo + SP + EA group. Morris water maze tests, TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining and flow cytometry were used to evaluate the effect of the EA intervention on VaD. In experiment II, 30 mice were randomly divided into a Sham group, BCCAo group, BCCAo + EA group, BCCAo + SP group and BCCAo + SP + EA group. Western blotting and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were used to detect protein and mRNA expression of key factors in the JNK signaling pathway in the hippocampus. RESULTS: EA, SP600125 and EA + SP600125 significantly inhibited hippocampal apoptosis and improved cognitive impairment in VaD model mice. There were no significant differences between the BCCAo group and the BCCAo + Sham-EA group. EA, EA + SP600125 and SP600125 inhibited the phosphorylation of JNK and caspase-3. EA and EA + SP600125 promoted protein and mRNA expression of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) in the hippocampus of VaD mice and inhibited protein and mRNA expression of activator protein (AP)-1, p53 and Bax. CONCLUSION: EA can reverse cognitive deficits and inhibit hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in VaD model mice, at least partially through inhibition of the JNK signaling pathway and regulation of apoptosis signals.

Visualization and Analysis of the Mapping Knowledge Domain of Acupuncture and Central Nervous System Cell Apoptosis.

Chinese acupuncture therapy has demonstrated good clinical effects on neurological diseases and is widely used internationally. In the past 20 years, an increasing number of researchers around the world have devoted themselves to the study of the effect and mechanism of acupuncture for the treatment of central nervous system cell apoptosis. To discover the current research status of acupuncture-induced antiapoptosis in the central nervous system, we used the method of scientometric research and data visualization software to visually analyse 155 articles. The findings are as follows. First, the antiapoptosis effects of acupuncture in the central nervous system have received increasing attention overseas and domestically. China and the United States have leading positions in this research field. Second, 5 stable and high-yielding research teams have been formed in the field of acupuncture-induced antiapoptosis. The main research directions of these teams are electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment for the central nervous system cell apoptosis, acupuncture for antineuronal apoptosis in vascular dementia, EA regulation of related signalling pathways, EA regulation of nerve cell apoptosis and autophagy after stroke, and EA regulation of the MAPK signalling pathway. Researchers on teams with more extensive cooperation have more research results and better research continuity. Third, there are diversified research hotspots. The original research hotspots are still receiving attention, and new hotspots have emerged in recent years.