Electroacupuncture on Trigeminal Nerve-Innervated Acupoints Ameliorates Poststroke Cognitive Impairment in Rats with Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion: Involvement of Neuroprotection and Synaptic Plasticity

Abstract

Poststroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is a severe sequela of stroke. There are no effective therapeutic options for it. In this study, we evaluated whether electroacupuncture (EA) on the trigeminal nerve-innervated acupoints could alleviate PSCI and identified the mechanisms in an animal model. The male Sprague-Dawley rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was used in our study. EA was conducted on the two scalp acupoints, EX-HN3 (Yintang) and GV20 (Baihui), innervated by the trigeminal nerve, for 14 sessions, daily. Morris water maze and novel object recognition were used to evaluate the animal’s cognitive performance. Neuroprotection and synaptic plasticity biomarkers were analyzed in brain tissues. Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury significantly impaired spatial and cognition memory, while EA obviously reversed cognitive deterioration to the control level in the two cognitive paradigms. Moreover, EA reversed the I/R injury-induced decrease of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, tyrosine kinase B, N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor 1, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptor, γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, neuronal nuclei, and postsynaptic density protein 95 expression in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. These results suggest that EA on the trigeminal nerve-innervated acupoints is an effective therapy for PSCI, in association with mediating neuroprotection and synaptic plasticity in related brain regions in the MCAO rat model.

Jiedu-Yizhi Formula Improves Cognitive Impairment in an Aβ25–35-Induced Rat Model of Alzheimer’s Disease by Inhibiting Pyroptosis

“…Electroacupuncture at acupoints on the head has also been reported to improve the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores of AD patients [ 40 ]. Animal experiments have also confirmed that electroacupuncture at acupoints on the head can enhance hippocampal and prefrontal cortex neuroprotection and regulate synaptic plasticity [ 41 ]. In addition, music therapy can alter the levels of neurotransmitters, autonomic nerve function, and neuronal connections to improve the memory and language ability of AD patients and reduce their mental symptoms [ 42 , 43 ].…”

Shexiang Baoxin Pill, a Proprietary Multi-Constituent Chinese Medicine, Prevents Locomotor and Cognitive Impairment Caused by Brain Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury in Rats: A Potential Therapy for Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of Stroke

“…The cerebral ischemia/reperfusion MCAO model was conducted according to the previous protocol ( Liu and McCullough, 2011 ; Zheng et al, 2020 ). Briefly, rats were anesthetized with 4% isoflurane (Abbott, IL, United States) and maintained with 1.5% isoflurane via inhalation.…”

“…The Morris Water Maze test was performed to assess the spatial memory of post-stroke rats. The test was conducted according to the previous protocol ( Zheng et al, 2020 ). From day 9 after MCAO, the rats were trained to find a hidden hyaline platform below the water.…”

Trigeminal Nerve Control of Cerebral Blood Flow: A Brief Review

“…In a rat model of AIS, the authors found that TNS induced elevations in CBF and decreases in CVR, ultimately resulting in decreases in ischemic lesion volume (Shiflett et al, 2015). Other studies have demonstrated that electro-acupuncture of the scalp, at points innervated by the trigeminal nerve, led to decreased infarct volume and improved neurological function in animal models (Wang et al, 2014;Zheng et al, 2020). Additionally, the one paper which assessed the effect of TNS immediately following TBI indicated that it led to increased CBF due to decreased CVR, resulting in increased brain oxygenation and decreased neuroinflammation (Chiluwal et al, 2017).…”