Acute effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) on hippocampal long term potentiation (LTP) of perforant path-dentate gyrus granule cells synapse related to memory.

Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese therapeutic method, has been widely used in clinical practice to treat diseases such as stroke, Bell's palsy, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson diseases, dysmenorrhea and chronic pain. Mounting lab data had suggested that electro-acupuncture could alleviate dementia and restore long term potentiation of hippocampus in rat. Clinical data also indicated that electro-acupuncture could improve electrical activity of brain in vascular dementia patients. However, its biological basis and acute effects on hippocampal long term potentiation (LTP) remain not well understood. Therefore, we sought to investigate whether acute electro-acupuncture (acupoints: ST36 and SP6; continuous wave, 2 mV, 2Hz; lasted 20 min) could enhance LTP of perforant path-dentate gyrus granule cells in anesthetized rat and explore its underlying mechanisms. We found that electro-acupuncture could significantly increase PS2/PS 1 in pair pulse test (P <0.05, inter-pulse interval: 20ms and 90ms). When compared to control group, electro-acupuncture could significantly enhance LTP to about 234% which was about 143% of that in control group (P <0.05). It suggested that electro-acupuncture could modulate the function of interneurons in hippocampus hence increase LTP.

Treatment with Astragalus membranaceus produces antioxidative effects and attenuates intestinal mucosa injury induced by intestinal ischemia-reperfusion in rats.

Astragalus membranaceus, also known as huang qi, a traditional Chinese medicine, is often used in formulas for deficiency of vital energy characterized by limb weakness, pale face, and dizziness. Previous studies have shown that Astragalus membranaceus could attenuate intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury induced by hemorrhagic shock in rats; however, the underlying mechanism still remains unclear. Using a hemorrhagic shock rat model to examine the effect of Astragalus membranaceus on intestinal mucosa injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion, we found that treatment (20 g crude drugs/kg, i.v.) produced antioxidative effects in the intestinal mucosa of rats after ischemia-reperfusion (p < 0.05). We also found that Astragalus membranaceus could partly attenuate intestinal mucosa ischemia-reperfusion injury (chiu's score, apoptosis index p < 0.05). These results suggest that Astragalus membranaceus reduces intestinal mucosa injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion in rats, at least in part, through its anti-oxidative effects.