Effects of Acupuncture at Pai-Hui on the Deficit of Memory

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Acupuncture has been introduced as one of the complementary therapies in traditional Chinese medicine. In addition to the analgesic effect, acupuncture also has anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and immunomodulatory effects. Activation of the Bai-Hui by acupuncture was further shown to correct loss of consciousness, as well as to relieve mental abstraction, sluggish speech and hysteria. In this study, we investigated the attenuating effect of Pal-Hui acupuncture on scopolamine (SCOP)-induced or cycloheximide (CXM)-induced impairment of the passive avoidance response in rats. Our preliminary results indicated that acupuncture at Pal-Hui before or immediately after the training trial could significantly attenuate SCOP-induced impairment in rats. The effects were better than those treated before the right-room retention trial. Interestingly, the identical procedure could also significantly attenuate the CXM-induced impairment, but not those treated before the retention trial. The correction effect of acupuncture on CXM-induced impairment was equivalent to that of piracetam treatment. Acupunctures at Pal-Hui 15,30 or 60 min before the training trial could he all effective to attenuate CXM-induced impairment, and its efficacy paralleled acupuncture duration. Furthermore, we demonstrated the mechanism of the attenuating effects of acupuncture at Pal-Hui on CXM-induced memory consolidation deficits by combined with SCOP or p-chloroamphetamine(PCA). The attenuating effects of acupuncture at Pal-Hui was significantly antagonized by PCA but not SCOP. These results suggest acupuncture at Pal-Hui might mainly affect the memory storage process and had preventive and immediate therapeutic effects on the CXM-induced impairment and its efficacy paralleled acupuncture duration. The preventive effect of acupuncture at Pal-Hui on CXM-induced impairment is significantly reduced by serotonergic 5-HT releaser. However, the detailed mechanism of acupuncture on memory function and the differential mechanism of acupuncture on memory function an analgesia must be further investigated.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Materials and Methods
• Results
• Discussion