ABSTRACT
Objective:To observe the effect of electroacupuncture at Baihui (DU20) and Shenshu (BL23) acupoints on learning-memory ability and expression of the relative protein of P35/P25-cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5)-Tau phosphorylation signaling pathway in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in rats with Alzheimer's disease (AD), so as to reveal its potential mechanisms in treating AD. Methods:Male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group, sham group, model group and treatment group with six rats in each group. The AD model was constructed by bilateral hippocampal injection of Aβ25-35 in latter two groups. Equal amount of normal saline was injected into the sham group. The treatment group was acupunctured at Baihui and Shenshu once a day for ten days. All the rats were tested with Morris Water Maze. Immunohistochemistry staining and Western blotting were used to detect the related protein of P35/P25-CDK5-Tau protein phosphorylation in the PFC. Results:Compared with the normal control group and the sham group, the escape latency and escape length increased (P < 0.05) and the times crossing the platform reduced (P < 0.05) in the model group; compared with the model group, the escape latency and escape length reduced (P < 0.05), and the times crossing the platform increased (P < 0.05) in the treatment group. The optical density of P35/P25 and CDK5 were significantly higher in the model group than in the normal control group and the sham group (P < 0.01), and they were lower in the treatment group than in the model group (P < 0.001). The relative expression of P35/P25, CDK5, Tau[pS199] and Tau[pS202] were higher in the model group than in the normal control group and the sham group (P < 0.05), and the expression of the above proteins was lower in the treatment group than in the model group (P < 0.05). Conclusion:Electroacupuncture could improve the learning-memory and spatial exploration ability, which associate with inhabiting the P35/P25-CDK5-Tau protein phosphorylation signaling pathway in the PFC to delay the development of AD.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on expression of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/glycogen synthase kinase 3 alpha (PI3K/GSK3α) signaling pathway related proteins in cortex of APP/PS1 double transgenic mice, and the senile plaque (SP) deposit. Methods:Three-month-old male APP/PS1 mice were randomly divided into model group (n = 6) and EA group (n = 6) after gene identification, and other six wild C57 mice were as control group. EA group accepted EA at Baihui (GV20) and bilateral Shenshu (BL23) for 14 days. Then, the amount of SP in cortex, the expression of P85α and P110α, subunits of PI3K, and GSK3α and pS21-GSK3α, were detected with Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Results:The SP increased in the model group compared with that of the control group (P < 0.001), and it decreased in EA group compared with that of the model group (P < 0.001). All the proteins expressed in the cytoplasm of cortical neurons. The expression of pS21-GSK3α, P110α and P85α decreased in the model group compared with that of the control group (P < 0.01), while the expression of GSK3α increased (P < 0.05). The expression of pS21-GSK3α, P110α and P85α increased in EA group compared with that of the model group (P < 0.01), while the expression of GSK3α decreased (P < 0.05). Conclusion:EA may adjust the PI3K/GSK3α signaling pathway, to reduce the formation and deposition of SP in APP/PS1 double-transgenic mice.