Bi Xiaochen, Feng Yanfei, Wu Zemin, Fang Jianqiao
School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (The Xinhua Hospital of Zhejiang Province), Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Apr 19;2021:8842022. doi: 10.1155/2021/8842022. eCollection 2021.
Electroacupuncture has shown protective effects on cognitive decline. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not clear. The present study was conducted to determine whether the cognitive function was ameliorated in cerebral hypoperfusion rats following electroacupuncture and to investigate the role of miR-137/NOX4 axis. In this study, chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) model was established by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion. Electroacupuncture treatment attenuated brain injury in CCH model group via regulating miR-137/NOX4 axis. Furthermore, the data of neuronal apoptosis and oxidative stress were observed. Our findings indicated that (1) neuronal apoptosis and oxidative stress in CCH rats were significantly increased compared with control group; (2) the animal cognitive performance was evaluated using the Morris water maze (MWM). The results showed that electroacupuncture therapy ameliorated spatial learning and memory impairment in cerebral hypoperfusion rats; and (3) electroacupuncture therapy reduces neuronal apoptosis and oxidative stress by activating miR-137/NOX4 axis. These results suggest that electroacupuncture therapy for CCH may be mediated by miR-137/NOX4 axis. Electroacupuncture therapy may act as a potential therapeutic approach for chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.
电针已显示出对认知功能衰退的保护作用。然而，其潜在的分子机制尚不清楚。本研究旨在确定电针治疗后慢性脑灌注不足大鼠的认知功能是否得到改善，并探讨miR-137/NOX4轴的作用。在本研究中，通过双侧颈总动脉闭塞建立慢性脑灌注不足（CCH）模型。电针治疗通过调节miR-137/NOX4轴减轻了CCH模型组的脑损伤。此外，还观察了神经元凋亡和氧化应激的数据。我们的研究结果表明：（1）与对照组相比，CCH大鼠的神经元凋亡和氧化应激显著增加；（2）使用莫里斯水迷宫（MWM）评估动物的认知表现。结果表明，电针疗法改善了慢性脑灌注不足大鼠的空间学习和记忆障碍；（3）电针疗法通过激活miR-137/NOX4轴减少神经元凋亡和氧化应激。这些结果表明，电针治疗CCH可能是由miR-137/NOX4轴介导的。电针疗法可能成为慢性脑灌注不足的一种潜在治疗方法。
