Standardizing therapeutic parameters of acupuncture in vascular dementia rats.

INTRODUCTION: Despite acupuncture having been successfully used for the clinical treatment for vascular dementia in Asian countries for centuries, scientifically rigorous evidence is lacking for standardizing therapeutic parameters. To address this problem, it is necessary to examine the parameters of acupuncture using scientific methodology. The goal of this study is to investigate various therapeutic parameters, including manipulation, retention, and frequency of acupuncture, and their contribution to the efficacy of acupuncture in VD. METHODS: We selected needle retention, treatment frequency, and needle rotation as the parameters. Acupuncture was performed on acupoints ST36 and GV20. Morris Water Maze was selected to assess the effect of acupuncture on cognitive function and Nissl staining indicated the hippocampal neuronal damage in VD rats. RESULTS: Acupuncture stimulation resulted in a significant improvement in the spatial learning and memory deficit and reversed neuronal damage in the hippocampus. The approach of needle retention with 10 min, rotation for 30s every 5 min or daily treatment with acupuncture was more effective than nonretention, nonrotation, or alternative day treatment group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that needle retention, treatment frequency, and needle manipulation are important factors in improving the learning and memory as well as reducing the neuronal damage of the hippocampus in a rat VD model. These findings strongly suggest that the appropriate therapeutic parameters could significant influence the efficiency in animal experiments.

Applications of Acupuncture Therapy in Modulating Plasticity of Central Nervous System.

OBJECTIVE: Acupuncture is widely applied for treatment of various neurological disorders. This manuscript will review the preclinical evidence of acupuncture in mediating neural plasticity, the mechanisms involved. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched acupuncture, plasticity, and other potential related words at the following sites: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and VIP information data base. The following keywords were used: acupuncture, electroacupuncture, plasticity, neural plasticity, neuroplasticity, neurogenesis, neuroblast, stem cell, progenitor cell, BrdU, synapse, synapse structure, synaptogenesis, axon, axon regeneration, synaptic plasticity, LTP, LTD, neurotrophin, neurotrophic factor, BDNF, GDNF, VEGF, bFGF, EGF, NT-3, NT-4, NT-5, p75NTR, neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, noradrenaline, dopamine, monamine. We assessed the effects of acupuncture on plasticity under pathological conditions in this review. RESULTS: Relevant references were reviewed and presented to reflect the effects of acupuncture on neural plasticity. The acquired literatures mainly focused on neurogenesis, alterations of synapses, neurotrophins (NTs), and neurotranimitters. Acupuncture methods mentioned in this article include manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture. CONCLUSIONS: The cumulative evidences demonstrated that acupuncture could induce neural plasticity in rodents exposed to cerebral ischemia. Neural plasticity mediated by acupuncture in other neural disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and depression, were also investigated and there is evidence of positive role of acupuncture induced plasticity in these disorders as well. Mediation of neural plasticity by acupuncture is likely associated with its modulation on NTs and neurotransmitters. The exact mechanisms underlying acupuncture's effects on neural plasticity remain to be elucidated. Neural plasticity may be the potential bridge between acupuncture and the treatment of various neurological diseases.

Acupuncture Attenuated Vascular Dementia-Induced Hippocampal Long-Term Potentiation Impairments via Activation of D1/D5 Receptors.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Emerging evidence suggests that acupuncture could improve cognitive impairment in vascular dementia by enhancing synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether dopamine, a key mediator of synaptic plasticity, is involved in this cognitive improvement. METHODS: Vascular dementia model was established by bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion in male Wistar rats. Three days after the operation, animals received acupuncture treatment for 2 weeks, once daily. The D1/D5 receptors antagonist SCH23390 was administered intraperitoneally 15 minutes before each acupuncture treatment. Morris water maze was examined after acupuncture. Long-term potentiation was studied by an electrophysiological technique. Dopamine and metabolites levels were detected by microdialysis and high-performance liquid chromatography from brain tissue. The expression of D1R and D5R was analyzed by immunofluorescence. RESULTS: Acupuncture remarkably reversed cognitive deficits in 2-vessel occlusion model (2VO) rats, and the acupuncture points Zusanli (ST36) and Baihui (GV20) were confirmed to be the most effective combination. Electrophysiological recording data showed that 2VO-induced impairments of long-term potentiation were prevented by acupuncture. In addition, acupuncture promoted the release of dopamine and its major metabolites in the hippocampus of 2VO rats. The immunofluorescence experiment showed that the decrease of D1R and D5R in hippocampal dentate gyrus region of 2VO rats was reversed by acupuncture. Furthermore, we found that the effects of acupuncture against 2VO-induced impairments in cognition and synaptic plasticity were abolished by SCH23390. CONCLUSIONS: Improvement in cognition and hippocampal synaptic plasticity induced by acupuncture was achieved via activation of D1/D5 receptors in 2VO rats.