Acupuncture Effects on Alzheimer's Disease

Mice in N group received no treatment, but were grabbed and bound when mice in other groups were receiving treatments to ensure an equivalent condition. Mice in AD group were treated in accordance with N group. Donepezil hydrochloride tablets were crushed and dissolved in distilled water, with the dose at 0.92 mg/kg and delivered to mice by oral administration in M group, which were grabbed and bound as N and AD group.
Mice in EA group received EA treatment. The acupoints Baihui (GV20), Yintang (GV29) and Shuigou (GV26) in GV were chosen according to document (Li, 2007 ; Guo and Fang, 2012 ). Acupoints location in mouse were well-correspond to the anatomical site of human acupoints, GV20 is at the midpoint between the auricular apices, GV29 is located midway between the medial ends of the two eyebrows, while GV26 is located below the mouse nasal septum, at the junction of the lower two thirds and upper one third of the cleft lip midline (Figure 1). Sterile acupuncture needles were separately inserted with downward horizontal at GV20 and upward horizontal at GV29, 0.5 cm in depth. Then needles were connected to a programmed apparatus, and stimulated with sparse waves (2 Hz in frequency, 2 V in voltage, and 0.1 mA in electric current) generated from EA apparatus, which would be the most preferable if slight trembling of animal’s head was observed. Vertical pricking at GV26 acupoint was manipulated at the end of EA treatment. All treatment approaches should be implemented for 20 min, once a day for 15 consecutive days.