Table 7.
Mechanisms of acupuncture on different vascular dementia animal models.
| Model | Acupuncture point | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| using the permanent, bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (2VO) | GV20, ST36 | Up-regulate the protein and mRNA levels of Nrf2 and its target genes HO-1 and NQO1 (71). up-regulated the expressions of Trx-1 and TrxR-1 and inhibited the activation of the ASK1/JNK/ p38 pathway (72). downregulated the expression of TXNIP, NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1β (73). downregulated the expression of TLR4, accompanied by a decrease in microRNA-93 and MyD88/ NF-κB signaling pathway activation. activated of D1/ D5 receptors (74). activated of D1/D5 receptors (75). increased the expression of Hippocampal mitochondrial respiratory complex enzymes (complex I, II, IV) activities and cytochrome c oxidase IV expression (76). increased CBF attenuated the loss of myelin basic protein and microglial accumulation associated with IL-1β and IL-6 production (77). decreased ROS production and improved LTP (78). |
| GV20, GV14, BL23 | up-regulated expression of mTOR and eIF4E (79). inhibited expression of Noxa and caspase-3 expression (80). blocked expression of p53 and Noxa (81). | |
| GV20, GV14 | promoted synaptophysin expression (82). | |
| four-vessel occlusion (4-VO) | GV20, CV17, BL17, CV6, SP6 | inhibited the protein and mRNA expressions of TLR4 and MyD88 in the hippocampus of rats, and reduced the expressions of serum IL-6 and TNF-α (83). |
| Via bilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion | GV20, GV14, BL23 | up-regulated expression of p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase and ribosomal protein S6 (84). |
| with 3% microemboli saline suspension | ST36 | increased the pyramidal neuron number (85). |
Nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1), thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR-1), apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), Toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), reactive oxygen species (ROS), long-term potentiation (LTP), rapamycin (mTOR), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6).