Electroacupuncture ameliorates cognitive impairment and regulates the expression of apoptosis-related genes Bcl-2 and Bax in rats with cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion injury

BackgroundPost-stroke cognitive impairment seriously affects the quality of life and functional rehabilitation of patients with stroke.ObjectiveTo examine the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at GV20 and GV24 on cognitive impairment and apoptosis including expression of apoptosis-related genes Bcl-2 and Bax in a rat model of cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).MethodsThirty-five Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated to a sham operation control group (SC group, n=10) or underwent surgery and MCAO (n=25). Postoperatively the latter group was randomly subdivided into EA or untreated (IR) groups. Cognitive impairment was assessed using the Morris water maze (MWM). Apoptosis was examined by detection of Bcl-2 and Bax expression in the cerebral cortex.ResultsThe EA group had significantly decreased neurological deficit scores compared to the IR group (p