Acupuncture plus moxibustion intervention improves learning-memory ability by suppressing hippocampal JAK2/STAT3 signaling in Alzheimer's rats
10.13702/j.1000-0607.180456
- Author:
Jing LIU
1
Author Information
1. Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Wuhan City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Acupuncture plus moxibustion;
Alzheimer’s disease;
Hippocampus;
Janus kinase-2(JAK2);
Learning-memory ability;
Signal transducer and activator of transcription-3(STAT3);
Suppressor of cytokine signaling-3(SOCS3)
- From:
Acupuncture Research
2019;44(2):79-84
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of acupuncture plus moxibustion on learning-memory ability and expression of hippocampal Janus kinase-2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3)/suppressors of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS3) signaling in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) rats, so as to reveal their mechanisms underlying improvement of AD. METHODS: A total of 60 SD rats were randomly divided into four groups：normal control, sham-operation, model and acupuncture-moxibustion (Acu-moxi, n＝15 in each group) groups. The AD model was established by microinjection of β-amyloid 1-42(Aβ1-42，5 µL)into the bilateral hippocampus. Seven days after modeling, Acu-moxi intervention was given. After insertion of acupuncture needles into "Baihui" (GV20) and bilateral "Shenshu" (BL23) and manipulating them for a while, the needles were then retained for 15 min, when, the mild moxibustion was performed at the same time. The treatment was conducted once daily, 5 times a week for consecutive 4 weeks. After the treatment, Morris water maze test was used to detect the animals' learning-memory ability. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were respectively used to detect the number of positive cells and protein expression levels of JAK2, STAT3 and SOCS3 in the hippocampus tissue. RESULTS: Following modeling and compared with the normal control and sham-operation groups, the average escape latency was significantly prolonged (P<0.01), and the number of the original platform crossing and the residence time in the platform quadrant were significantly shortened in the model group (P<0.01). The numbers of hippocampal JAK2- and STAT3-positive cells and expression levels of hippocampal JAK2 and STAT3 proteins were significantly increased (P<0.01), and the number of hippocampal SOCS3-positive cells as well as the expression of SOCS3 protein significantly decreased in the model group relevant to the normal control and sham-operation groups (P<0.01). After the intervention, the average escape latency was significantly shortened (P< 0.01), and the number of the original platform crossing and the residence time in the platform quadrant were significantly increased in the Acu-moxi group (P<0.01), and the expression levels of JAK2 and STAT3 were significantly down-regulated and that of SOCS3 was considerably up-regulated in the Acu-moxi group relevant to the model group (P<0.01)．. CONCLUSION: Acu-moxi intervention can improve the learning-memory ability in AD rats, which is associated with its functions in inhibiting hippocampal JAK2/STAT3 signaling and up-regulating SOCS3 (a negative feedback factor) protein level.
