Electroacupuncture reduces Aβ production and BACE1 expression in SAMP8 mice

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been reported to have beneficial effects on Alzheimer's disease (AD). BACE1 (beta-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1) is involved in the abnormal production of amyloid-beta plague (A beta), a hallmark of AD pathophysiology. Thus, the present study investigated the effects of EA on memory impairment, A beta production, and BACE1 expression in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice. We found that EA improved spatial learning and memory impairment of SAMP8 mice. Furthermore, EA attenuated A beta production and repressed the expression of BACE1 in the hippocampus of SAMP8 mice. Taken together, our results suggest that EA could have a potential therapeutic application in AD and that BACE1 may be an important target of EA in the treatment of AD.