Effects of Moxibustion on Behaviors and Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-3 in Hippocampus of Alzheimer’s Disease Model Rats / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

ABSTRACT

This study was aimed to probe into the mechanism of moxibustion in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A total of 40 male 15-month-old SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group, model group, moxibustion group and sham-operation group. Stereotactic injection of agglutinated Aβ25-35 into rat’s bilateral hippocampus was used to prepare AD models. Equal amount of normal saline was injected to rat’s bilateral hippocampus in the sham-operation group. Model rats were treated by moxibustion at the distance of 2-3 cm above points of‘BL23-Shenshu’, ‘ST36-Zusanli’ and ‘GV20-Baihui’. No intervention was given to rats in the normal group. The learning and memory ability was detected by Morris water maze test. Changes on expressions of Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase-3 of hippocampus zone were detected by immunohistochemical method. The results showed that in the model group, the average escape latency of five days and the last three days were significantly lengthened. And the times across the platform position were significantly reduced. Compared with the normal group and the sham-operation group, expressions of Bax and Caspase-3 in the hippocampus were significantly increased, and the expression of Bcl-2 was obviously decreased (P < 0.01). In the moxibustion group, the average escape latency of five days and the last three days were shortened obviously, and the times across the platform position were significantly increased. Compared with the model group, expressions of Bax and Caspase-3 were significantly reduced, and the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly increased (P < 0.01). It was concluded that the action mechanism of AD treatment with moxibustion may be through the reducing of proapoptotic protein Bax and Caspase-3 releasing, promoting the releasing of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, so as to improve the learning and memory impairment caused by Aβ.