ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture on the P35/P25-cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5)-Tau pathway in rats with Alzheimer's disease (AD), as well as the mechanism of electroacupuncture in the prevention and treatment of AD. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group, sham-operation group, model group, and electroacupuncture treatment group, with 12 rats in each group. A rat model of AD was established by injection of Aβ25-35 into the bilateral hippocampus. The rats in the electroacupuncture treatment group were given electroacupuncture at "Baihui" (GV20) and "Shenshu" (BL23) once a day, 15 min each time, for 10 days. Morris water maze was used to evaluate learning and memory abilities, immunohistochemistry was used to measure the distribution and expression of P35/P25, CDK5, and Tau5 in the hippocampus, and Western blot was used to measure the expression of the above mentioned proteins, phosphory-lated Tau(Ser199, Ser202). RESULTS: In the visual platform test, there were no significant differences in escape latency and search path between groups (P>0.05). In the hidden platform test, there were no significant differences in escape latency and search path between the control group and the sham-operation group (P>0.05); the model group had significantly longer escape latency and search path than the control group and the sham-operation group (P0.05). The model group had significantly higher protein expression of phosphorylated Tau(Ser199, Ser202) in the hippocampus than the control group and the sham-operation group (P<0.01, P<0.05). The electroacupuncture treatment group had significantly lower protein expression of phosphorylated Tau(Ser199，Ser202) than the model group (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture may delay the progression of AD by affecting the expression of proteins involved in the P35/P25-CDK5-Tau pathway in the hippocampus of rats.