Electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture at LR3 and ST36 have attenuating effects on hypertension and subsequent cognitive dysfunction in spontaneously hypertensive rats: A preliminary resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Abstract

IntroductionChronic hypertension may have a contributory role toward cognitive impairment. Acupuncture exerts protective effects on cognitive functions while controlling the blood pressure. However, the neural mechanism underlying the dual attenuating effect of acupuncture remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and manual acupuncture (MA) on the functional activity of the brain regions of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) by through resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). We also evaluated the differences in these functional activities between the EA and MA groups.MethodsWe randomly assigned 30 SHRs into the EA, MA, and model (SHR) groups. Wistar Kyoto rats (n = 10) were used as normal control (WKY). The interventions were administered once every alternate day for 12 weeks. The systolic blood pressure of all rats was recorded every 2 weeks until the end of the intervention. After the intervention, rs-fMRI scanning was performed to access the whole brain data of rats randomly selected from each group evenly. The amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) analysis, regional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis, and functional connectivity (FC) analysis were also conducted. The Morris water maze (MWM) test was conducted to evaluate the learning and memory of the rats. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and Nissl staining were performed to observe histopathological changes in the key brain regions.ResultsWe demonstrated that, when compared with the SHR group, the EA and MA groups had significantly lower blood pressure and better performance for behavioral test indices, and that the effect of EA was better than that of MA. ALFF and ReHo analyses revealed enhancement of the neuronal activity of some functionally impaired brain areas in the EA and MA groups. The main callback brain regions included the hypothalamus, entorhinal cortex, brain stem, prelimbic cortex, cingulate cortex, corpus callosum, and cerebellum. The FC analysis demonstrated that EA and MA enhanced the functional connectivity between the seeds and brain regions such as the brain stem, entorhinal cortex, hippocampus, prelimbic cortex, and cerebellum. The pathological test of the entorhinal cortex also verified the protective effect of acupuncture on the neuronal functional activity.DiscussionOur findings suggested that EA and MA exhibited attenuating effects on hypertension and cognitive dysfunction by enhancing the functional activities in the corresponding brain regions. Moreover, EA activated more callback brain regions and functional connectivity than MA, which may explain why the effect of EA was better than that of MA.

Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy for cognitive impairment: the microbiome–gut–brain axis and its role

“…With regard to the difference between the effects of EA and MA on cognitive impairment, it is generally recognized that EA stimulation shows a more beneficial effect on neurodegenerative diseases ( Lin et al, 2018 ). Studies found that EA activated more callback brain regions and functional connectivity than MA ( Liu et al, 2023 ) due to the electrical twitching of surrounding tissues it produced ( Yamamoto et al, 2011 ). However, some studies ( Mitchell and Shiri-Feshki, 2008 ) instead found that patients who received MA displayed a significant improvement in cognitive function compared to those who received EA.…”

Acupuncture therapy for isolated ischemic oculomotor nerve palsy: A case report

“…This effect may be associated with the activation of brain regions, including the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, arcuate nucleus, periaqueductal gray matter in the ventrolateral funiculus, and rostral ventrolateral medulla after acupuncture. [20–22] These activations reduce the excitability of the sympathetic nervous system and enhance vagal activity. The research has demonstrated that acupuncture at Fengchi (GB 20) can increase the expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the arcuate nucleus and periaqueductal gray matter surrounding the ventrolateral aqueduct, inhibiting the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, thereby reducing blood pressure.…”