Acupuncture treatment improves the learning and memory ability in neonatal SD rats after hypoxic-ischemic damage

Chen Bin; Zhang Zhitao; Luo Jianming; Bai Ye; Zhuang Minghua

doi:10.3760/cma.j.issn.1673-4777.2014.08.021

Abstract：Objective To observe the successful establishment ofhypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE) rat models and to detect the improvement of learning HIE rat models during acupuncture on conception vessel,governor vesse and bladder channel.Methods The animals were divided into 4 groups:the normal group,model group,acupuncture group and random acupuncture group.The model group,acupuncture group and control group of 7-day-old SD rats underwent left common carotid artery ligation.After the establishment of HIE rat models,all groups had the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan within 12 hour,which could find out the HIE model was successful or not ; we observed the involving area and determinedthe apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the lesion center.At the same time acupuncture was performed once a day on conception vessel,governor vessel and bladder channel.Normal group did not have surgery and acupuncture.Model group did not had acupuncture and the control group had acupuncture randomlv.The ability of learning and memory was assessed by Morris water maze 28 days after model establishment.The time of crossing the flat and the residence time in the target quadrant were observed and compared.Results MRI scan could observe the successful establishment of HIE which involved both cortex and hippocampus.After the establishment of HIE rat models,the ADC of the model animal central lesions was (3.35 ± 0.09) × 10-4 mm2/s,which was lower than the values range of ADC in the severe ischemia hypoxia.The time of crossing the flat and the residence time in the target quadrant in the acupuncture group were significantly different from those in the model group and the random acupuncture group [(3.0 ± 1.1) times vs (1.2±l.1)timesor (1.5±l.4)times;(37.9±3.9)％ vs (25.7 ±7.4)％ or (21.3 ±10.1)％,all P＜0.05].Conclusion Acupuncture on conception vessel,governor vessel an d bladder channel can improve the ability of learning and memory of HIE rats.