电针对血管性痴呆大鼠学习记忆和血红素氧化酶的影响

Effect of Electroacupuncture on Learning and Memory and Heme Oxygenase in Rats with Vascular Dementia

[目的]探讨电针对血管性痴呆(VD)大鼠学习记忆障碍的治疗效应及其作用的分子机制。[方法]SD雄性大鼠60 只,除假手术组10只外,其他大鼠均采用4-血管阻断法复制VD模型,存活大鼠随机分为电针组14只,尼莫通组13只, 模型组13只;电针组针刺“百会”和“大椎”两穴,尼莫通组以12 mg/kg灌胃给药,假手术组与模型组未予任何治疗。采用Morris水迷宫观察治疗20 d后各组大鼠在学习记忆方面的变化,并检测血红素氧化酶(HO)的蛋白表达和信使核糖核酸(mRNA)表达。[结果]与假手术组比较,模型组逃避潜伏期、HO-1蛋白表达、HO-1 mRNA表达增高(P<0.01);与模型组比较,电针组、尼莫通组逃避潜伏期、HO-1蛋白表达均显著减少(P<0.01),HO-1 mRNA表达水平均降低(P<0.05); 电针组与尼莫通组比较,各指标均无显著性差异(P>0.05)。[结论]电针治疗改善VD模型大鼠学习记忆能力与尼莫通治疗相仿,两法均可能与减少海马和皮质神经元细胞HO-1蛋白表达及HO-1 mRNA表达有关。

[Objective] To observe the effect of electroacupuncture （EA） on the disorder of learning and memory in rats with vascular dementia （VD） and to explore its molecular mechanism. [Methods] Among 60 male SD rats, 10 rats were in sham-operation group and the other 50 rats were used to establish models of global ischemia and reperfusion by fourvessel occlusion （4-VO） method. Then the survival model rats were randomized into EA group （n = 14）, model group （n = 15） and nimotop group （n = 15）. EA group was treated with EA at points of Baihui （GV20） and Dazhui （GV14）, nimotop group with nimotop 12 mg/kg, and sham-operation group and model group did not receive any treatment. After a 20-day treatment, the changes of learning and memory behavior in rats were detected by Morris water maze, as well as the protein expression and mRNA expression of heme oxygenase （HO）. [ Results ] The escape latent period, HO-1 protein expression and HO-1 mRNA-expression were increased obviously in model rats （P 〈 0.01 compared with the sham-operation group）, and decreased obviously in EA and nimotop groups （ P 〈 0.01 or P 〈 0.05 compared with the model group）. The differences of the above three parameters were insignificant between EA group and nimotop group （P 〉 0.05）. [Conclusion] EA can improve the learning and memory behavior in rats with VD and this may be related to the decrease of HO-1 protein expression and HO-1 mRNA-expression in cortex and hippocampal