Electroacupuncture at the Zusanli and Baihui acupoints ameliorates type-2 diabetes-induced reductions in proliferating cells and differentiated neuroblasts in the hippocampal dentate gyrus with increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels

Jin Young CHUNG; Dae Young YOO; Wooseok IM; Jung Hoon CHOI; Sun Shin YI; Hwa Young YOUN; In Koo HWANG; Je Kyung SEONG; Yeo Sung YOON

doi:10.1292/jvms.14-0400

Anatomy

Electroacupuncture at the Zusanli and Baihui acupoints ameliorates type-2 diabetes-induced reductions in proliferating cells and differentiated neuroblasts in the hippocampal dentate gyrus with increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels

Jin Young CHUNG, Dae Young YOO, Wooseok IM, Jung Hoon CHOI, Sun Shin YI, Hwa Young YOUN, In Koo HWANG, Je Kyung SEONG, Yeo Sung YOON

Author information

Jin Young CHUNG
Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea
Dae Young YOO
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea
Wooseok IM
Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 110-744, Republic of Korea
Jung Hoon CHOI
Department of Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea
Sun Shin YI
Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, College of Medical Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, Asan 336-745, Republic of Korea
Hwa Young YOUN
Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea
In Koo HWANG
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea
Je Kyung SEONG
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea
Yeo Sung YOON
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea

Keywords: brain-derived neurotrophic factor, electroacupuncture, hippocampus, neurogenesis, type 2 diabetes

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2015 Volume 77 Issue 2 Pages 167-173

DOI https://doi.org/10.1292/jvms.14-0400

Browse “Advance online publication” version

Details

Abstract

In the current study, we investigated whether electroacupuncture (EA) can inhibit pathological reductions in neurogenesis. Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats at 7 weeks of age were anesthetized with zoletil, and sham-acupuncture or EA at the Zusanli (ST36) and Baihui (GV20) acupoints was administered once a day for 5 weeks. In the ZDF group that received sham-EA (ZDF-Sham group), the blood glucose level was significantly increased together with age as compared to the control littermates [Zucker lean control (ZLC) rat]. In contrast, proliferating cells and differentiated neuroblasts were significantly decreased in the ZDF-Sham group compared to the ZLC group. Although EA treatment decreased blood glucose levels, this was not statistically significant when compared to blood glucose levels changes in the ZDF-Sham group. However, proliferating cells and differentiated neuroblasts were significantly increased with EA in ZDF rats as compared to those in the ZDF-Sham group. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were significantly decreased in hippocampal homogenates of ZDF-Sham group compared to those in the ZLC group. The EA treatment significantly increased the BDNF levels compared to those in the ZDF-Sham group, and BDNF levels in this group were similar to those in the ZLC group. These results suggest that EA at ST36 and GV20 can ameliorate the reductions in proliferating cells and differentiated neuroblasts in the dentate gyrus induced by type-2 diabetes without significantly reducing blood glucose levels with increasing BDNF levels.

Corresponding author

Register with J-STAGE for free!