Objective To observe the effects of electro-acupuncture ( EA ) on learning, memory and the morphology of hippocampal neural tissues in rats with a model of chronic cerebral ischemia.Methods One hundred and twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Chronic cerebral ischemia models were successfully established in 104 of them, and those rats were randomly divided into an EA group and a model group with 52 rats each. These were further subdivided into 1,2, 4 and 6 week subgroups with 13 rats in each. The EA group was given EA. The changes in spatial learning and memory ability were observed using a Morris water maze. The morphological changes in hippocampal nerve tissue were observed by HE staining.Results The escape latency in the EA group was significantly different from the model group at the 2nd, 4th and 6th week. The nerve cells in the dentate gyrus were more tightly and consistently lined-up and had rich layers, and the structures in the EA group were better than in the model group.Conclusions EA can improve spatial learning and memory and promote the repair of injury after cerebral ischemia.

Objective:To observe the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) on learning, memory and the differentiation of neural stem cells in the hippocampus in the presence of chronic cerebral ischemia.Methods:A total of 120 male Sprague-Dawley rats had chronic cerebral ischemia induced by bilateral ligation of the common carotid arteries. The model was successfully established in 104 of them, and they were randomly divided into a model group and an EA group, each of 52. The EA group was given 20 minutes of EA at acpoints Baihui and Dahui every day for 7 days, followed by an interval of 2 days. The current output was 1mA and the frequency was 15Hz. The model group was not given any intervention. One, 2, 4 and 6 weeks after the modelling, 6 rats from each group were injected with BrdU, and any proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells was observed. The rats′ learning and memory were also evaluated using the Morris water maze, and neurogenesis of in the dentate gyrus was observed using BrdU+ NeuN and BrdU+ GFAP double-labelled immunofluorescence.Results:The learning and memory of the EA group were significantly better than those of the model group 2, 4 and 6 weeks after the modelling. After two weeks BrdU+ NeuN and BrdU+ GFAP-positive cells were found in the granule cell layer of the hippocampus, and compared with the model group, there were siginificantly more such neurons in the EA group. The gliocyte levels were not significantly different.Conclusion:Electro-acupuncture can improve learning and memory in the face of chronic cerebral ischemia by promoting the differentiation of neural stem cells.

Objective:To observe the expression of noggin mRNA in the hippocampus of rats with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, and explore the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at the " baihui" and " dazhui" acupoints on their learning and memory and on hippocampal neurogenesis.Methods:In total, 120 Sprague-Dawley rats had cerebral hypoperfusion induced by permanent bilateral ligation of the common carotid artery. The 104 successfully induced were divided at random into a model group and an EA group, each of 52. The EA group was given EA on the baihui and dazhui acupoints for 20 minutes daily for seven days followed by a two-day break. The output current was 1mA at 15Hz. No special treatment was given to the model group. After one, two, four and six weeks of treatment, 6 rats were given BrdU injections to observe the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells. Learning and memory were assessed using the Morris Water Maze. The expression of noggin mRNA and neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus were measured using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reactions and immunohistochemistry.Results:After one, two and five weeks of intervention, the average learning and memory ability of the EA group were significantly better than those of the control group. The average expression of noggin mRNA was significantly higher in the EA group than in the model group at the same time points. Compared with the model group, there were more BrdU-positive cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus in the EA group, and the number decreased with the prolongation of ischemia. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the levels of noggin mRNA in the hippocampus of both groups were positively correlated with their number of BrdU-positive cells. The correlation was stronger in the EA group than in the model group.Conclusions:Electroacupuncture can promote hippocampal neurogenesis in rats with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion by regulating the expression of hippocampal noggin mRNA, thereby improving their spatial learning and memory ability.