Effect of Moxibustion on the Learning and Memory of Rat Models of Alzheimer’s Disease and the Expression of Hippocampal Aβ, IL-1β and IL-2 / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the effect of moxibustion on the learning ability and memory of rat models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and the expression of amyloidβ protein (Aβ)-42, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-2, for unveiling the function and mechanism of moxibustion in treating AD.Method Forty-eight healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into a sham-operation group, a model group, a Western medication group, and a moxibustion group, 12 rats in each group. The AD model rats were established by injection of Streptozotocin (STZ) into bilateral ventricles. From the 10th day after the operation, the moxibustion group started to receive moxibustion at Baihui (GV 20), Mingmen (GV 4), Changqiang (GV 1), and Guanyuan (CV 4); meanwhile, the Western medication group received Donepezil hydrochloride via intragastric administration. After 30-day treatment, the learning and memory ability was tested by using water maze, the hippocampal Aβ-42 was examined by immunohistochemical method, and the expression of hippocampal IL-1β and IL-2 was by double-antibody sandwich ELISA.Result Compared to the model group, moxibustion significantly down-regulated the levels of Aβ-42 (P<0.05) and IL-1β protein (P<0.05), up-regulated the level of IL-2 protein (P<0.05) in hippocampus, and markedly improved the learning and memory of AD rats (P<0.05).Conclusion Moxibustion can enhance the immunity and learning ability, which is plausibly related to the down-regulation of IL-1β, up-regulation of IL-2, and improvement of Aβ-42 in hippocampus.