Laser Acupuncture Exerts Neuroprotective Effects via Regulation of Creb, Bdnf, Bcl-2, and Bax Gene Expressions in the Hippocampus

Abstract

Acupuncture has a positive effect on cognitive deficits. However, the effects of laser acupuncture (LA) on cognitive function and its mechanisms of action are unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of LA on middle cerebral artery occlusion- (MCAO-) induced cognitive impairment and its mechanisms of action. Transient focal cerebral ischemia was modeled in adult Sprague-Dawley rats by MCAO. After LA or manual-acupuncture (MA) treatment at the GV20 and HT7 for 2 weeks, hippocampal-dependent memory was evaluated using the Morris water maze (MWM) test. The hippocampus was dissected to analyze choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunoreactivity and Creb, Bdnf, Bcl-2, and Bax gene expressions. MWM test demonstrated a significant improvement in hippocampal-dependent memory in the MCAO rats after LA treatment. LA treatment significantly reversed the postischemic decrease in ChAT immunoreactivity in the hippocampal CA1 region. LA treatment significantly normalized gene expression in the hippocampus which had been altered by MCAO, especially upregulating gene expression of Creb, Bdnf, and Bcl-2 and downregulating gene expression of Bax. This study suggests that LA treatment could improve cognitive impairment in MCAO rats to enhance the cholinergic system in the hippocampal CA1 region and to exert a neuroprotective effect by regulating Creb, Bdnf, Bcl-2, and Bax gene expressions.

Baihui Point Laser Acupuncture Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment, Motor Deficit, and Neuronal Loss Partly via Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects in an Animal Model of Focal Ischemic Stroke

“…Moreover, they also play an important role in encoding new spatial information within short-term memory [34]. A considerable body of evidence now suggests that laser acupuncture stimulation increases CREB activity and reduces neuronal cell loss in the hippocampus [35, 36], which can improve memory impairment in various disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and stroke [11, 36, 37]. Traditional acupuncture at the Baihui point (Governing vessel; GV20) is widely used to treat clinical disorders such as paralysis, dizziness, headache, poor memory, and stroke [12, 18].…”

Early effect of laser irradiation in signaling pathways of diabetic rat submandibular salivary glands

“…Yun et al also reported that laser therapy could not only up-regulate CREB gene expression to normal levels in rats hippocampus after injury, but also increase bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic protein, and decrease bax expression, preventing neurodegeneration [33]. LPLI also protected macrophages and muscle precursors cells from apoptosis after injury in gilts [50].…”

“…It is well known that cAMP response element binding (CREB) protein, is a transcription factor that regulates diverse cellular responses, including cell proliferation and survival [32]. Recent evidences indicated that LPLI beneficial effects might be related to the regulation of CREB pathway [33,34].…”

Signal Transduction Pathways of Acupuncture for Treating Some Nervous System Diseases

“…The p38 MAPK pathway activates the expression of CREB protein and reduces the apoptosis of ischemic neural cells. Acupuncture on GV16, GV20, GV24, ST36, and HT7 also triggered the CREB pathway in the hippocampus and improved cognitive impairment in an animal model [46–51]. The CREB pathway is related to BDNF, p38 MAPK, and Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) [46, 50, 52].…”