Acupuncture inhibits TXNIP-associated oxidative stress and inflammation to attenuate cognitive impairment in vascular dementia rats.

Abstract

AIMS:

Oxidative stress and inflammation have been implicated in the pathogenesis of vascular dementia (VD). Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) plays a vital role in oxidative stress and NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. There is evidence that acupuncture has an antioxidative and neuroprotective effect in VD. In this study, we investigated whether acupuncture can attenuate cognitive impairment via inhibiting TXNIP-associated oxidative stress and inflammation in VD rats.

METHODS:

Both common carotid arteries were occluded (2-vessel occlusion [2VO]) in rats to model VD. The neuroprotective effect of acupuncture was assessed by the Morris water maze and Nissl staining. Oxidative stress was assessed by detecting levels of reactive oxygen species, DNA oxidation, and antioxidase. Western blot, real-time PCR, and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression of TXNIP, NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1β. A TXNIP siRNA intraventricular injection was applied to investigate whether acupuncture mimicked the effect of TXNIP inhibitor.

RESULTS:

Our findings demonstrated that VD rats treated with acupuncture had reduced hippocampal neuronal loss and oxidative stress. The upregulation of TXNIP, NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1β induced by 2VO was also reversed by acupuncture. Furthermore, TXNIP siRNA had a similar effect as acupuncture on cognition, hippocampal neurons, and ROS production in VD rats.

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, our study suggests that the neuroprotective effects of acupuncture in VD are mediated through reducing expression of TXNIP-associated oxidative stress and inflammation.

• Authors: Si-Qi Du, Xue-Rui Wang, Wen Zhu, Yang Ye, Jing-Wen Yang, Si-Ming Ma, Cai-Shuo Ji, Cun-Zhi Liu
• Journal: CNS neuroscience & therapeutics (CNS Neurosci Ther) Vol. 24 Issue 1 Pg. 39-46 (Jan 2018) ISSN: 1755-5949 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 29110407 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chemical References

• Carrier Proteins
• Cell Cycle Proteins
• Inflammasomes
• Interleukin-1beta
• NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
• RNA, Small Interfering
• Reactive Oxygen Species
• TXNIP protein, rat
• Superoxide Dismutase
• Caspase 3
• Phosphopyruvate Hydratase

Topics

• Acupuncture Therapy (methods)
• Animals
• Carrier Proteins (genetics, metabolism)
• Caspase 3 (metabolism)
• Cell Cycle Proteins
• Cognition Disorders (etiology, therapy)
• Dementia, Vascular (complications, pathology)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Gene Expression Regulation (physiology)
• Hippocampus (metabolism, pathology)
• Inflammasomes (metabolism)
• Interleukin-1beta (genetics, metabolism)
• Male
• Maze Learning (physiology)
• NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein (genetics, metabolism)
• Oxidative Stress (physiology)
• Phosphopyruvate Hydratase (metabolism)
• RNA, Small Interfering (genetics, metabolism)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Reactive Oxygen Species (metabolism)
• Superoxide Dismutase (metabolism)