Improvement of Electroacupuncture on APP/PS1 Transgenic Mice in Spatial Learning and Memory Probably due to Expression of A<i>β</i> and LRP1 in Hippocampus

Abstract

<i>Objectives</i>. To explore the alterations of <i>β</i>-amyloid (A<i>β</i>) and low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP1) in APP/PS1 mice after electroacupuncture (EA) treatment and further to explore the mechanism. <i>Methods</i>. Forty 6-month-old APP/PS1 mice were randomly divided into a model group and an EA group, with twenty wild-type mice used as a normal control group. Mice in the EA group were treated with EA at GV 20 (<i>băi huì</i>) and bilateral KI 1 (<i>yŏng quán</i>) acupoints for 6 weeks. The Morris water maze was applied to assess the spatial memory in behavior. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), ELISA, Western blotting, and so forth were used to observe the expression of LRP1 and A<i>β</i>. <i>Results</i>. The Morris water maze test showed that, compared with the normal control group, the model group's learning and memory capabilities were significantly decreased (<i>P</i> < 0.05; <i>P</i> < 0.01). The EA group was reversed (<i>P</i> < 0.05; <i>P</i> < 0.01). The hippocampal expression of A<i>β</i> in the EA group was significantly decreased compared to the model group (<i>P</i> < 0.01). The expression of LRP1 in the model group was significantly lower than that in the normal control group (<i>P</i> < 0.01); the expression in the EA group was significantly higher than that in the model group (<i>P</i> < 0.01). <i>Conclusions</i>. EA therapy can improve the learning and memory capabilities of APP/PS1 mice. The underlying mechanism may lie in the upregulation of an A<i>β</i> transport receptor and LRP1.