ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the effect of electroacupuncture(EA) on long-term potentiation(LTP),calmodulin(CaM) and calmodulin protein kinase Ⅱ(CaMPKⅡ) mRNA expression in vascular dementia rats.Methods Seventy SD rats,half in male and aged 2 months,were randomized into 5 groups: normal group(N =14),pseudo-operation group(N = 14),EA group(N = 12),western medicine group(N = 12),and model group(N =12).EA group were given acup uncture on Baihui(GV20),Dazhui(GV14) and Shenshu(BL23),and western medicine group were given nimoldipine 12 mg.kg-1.d-1.The normal group,model group and pseudo-operation group were fed routinely without any medication.Escape latency and frequency of rats crossing the quadrant of the platform in Morris water maze,in-vivo hippocampal LTP,and neuronal CaM and CaMPKⅡ mRNA expression were observed.Results Compared with the model group,escape latency was shortened,frequency of rats crossing the original and left quadrants of the platform rised,LTP amplitude and duration increased,and neuronal CaM and CaMPKⅡ mRNA expression enhanced in EA group and western medicine group(P