PubMed:17165506 JSONTXT

[Effects of ear point needle embedding therapy on memory disorder and expression of beta-amyloid protein in the rat of vascular dementia]. OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism of auricular acupuncture for improvement of learning and memory disorders in the rat of vascular dementia (VD). METHODS: The vascular dementia rat model was made by 4-vessel occlusion method. Four groups, a sham operation group, a normal control group, a model group and an auricular acupuncture group were set up. After acupuncture was given at auricular points, Brain and Kidney. Immunohistochemical analysis, behavioural observation and computer image analysis were made. RESULTS: Auricular acupuncture could decrease significantly the beta-amyloid protein (A beta) immunoreactivive neurons and increase its average optical density in the parietal cortex of the VD rats (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Auricular acupuncture can reduce or inhibit the over-production of Abeta in the brain, so as to improve the learning and memory capacity of the VD model rat.