OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) and AngⅡ/AT1R in the hippocampus in D-galactose-induced aging rats which received hepalobectomy, and to explore the possible mechanism of EA on POCD.

METHODSEighty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a young control group (10 rats), a D-Galactose-induced aged (Da) group (10 rats), a Da+hepatolobectomy group (30 rats) and an EA group (30 rats). The rats in the Da+hepatolobectomy group and EA group were further randomly divided into a 1 d subgroup, 3 d subgroup and a 7 d subgroup, 10 rats in each subgroup. The rats in the EA group were treated with EA at "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Dazhui" (GV 14) with continuous wave (15 Hz in frequency and 1 mA in intensity), and rats in each subgroup were treated for 1 d, 3 d and 7 d, respectively. The rats in the remaining groups were treated with immobilization, once a day. The Y-maze was used to observe the behavior change of rats, and ELISA was applied to measure the level of hippocampal AngⅡ, and RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry method were performed to detect AT1R mRNA expressions and AT1R positive expression in the hippocampus.

RESULTSThe number of rat initiative avoidance in the Da group was significantly less than that in the young control group (<0.05), and the mRNA expression and positive percentage of AT1R in the hippocampus in the Da group were significantly higher than those in the young control group (both<0.01). Compared with the Da group, the number of rat initiative avoidance in each subgroup of Da+hepatolobectomy group and EA group were significantly reduced (all<0.01), and the expression of AngⅡ, AT1R mRNA and AT1R positive cells percentage in the hippocampus were significantly increased (<0.05,<0.01). The number of rat initiative avoidance in each subgroup of EA group was higher than that in the subgroup of Da+hepatolobectomy group (<0.05,<0.01); and the expression of AngⅡ, AT1R mRNA, and AT1R positive percentage in the EA group were significantly less than that in the Da+hepatolobectomy group (<0.05,<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSEA at "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Dazhui" (GV 14) could improve POCD in D-galactose-induced aging rats which received hepalobectomy, and it is likely to be related with the inhibition of AngⅡ, AT1R positive expression and AT1R mRNA in the hippocampus.