[Neuroprotective effect of electroacupuncture therapy on damaged cholinergic neurons in rats with Alzheimer's disease].

OBJECTIVE To explore the neuroprotective effect of electroacupuncture therapy on damaged cholinergic neurons in hippocampus in aged rats with Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS Thirty six aged male rats were randomly divided into normal control group, sham-operated group, untreated group and electroacupuncture group. Animal model of AD was established with fimbria-fornix transection. The rats in the electroacupuncture group received electroacupuncture on Baihui (DU 20), Yongquan (KI 1), Taixi (KI 3) and Xuehai (SP10). The activity of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in septal area of brain was detected by radioimmunoassay, and the protein expressions of nerve growth factor (NGF) and c-fos in CA3 region of hippocampus were detected by immunohistochemical assay. RESULTS The ChAT activity and the expression levels of NGF and c-fos proteins in the electroacupuncture group were significantly higher than those in the untreated group. CONCLUSION Electroacupuncture therapy can protect cholinergic neurons in hippocampus in aged rats with AD by means of promoting synthesis of c-fos protein and increasing the expression level of NGF.