Acupuncture Strategies in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Numerous studies have demonstrated that alterations in intestinal flora can influence the central nervous system (CNS) through multiple pathways, ultimately contributing to the onset and progression of AD. Recent research suggests the limitations of pharmacological therapies, emphasizing the need for multi-targeted interventions in AD treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) highlights the physiological and pathological relationship between the brain and the intestine. Therefore, therapeutic strategies targeting gastrointestinal regulation to enhance brain function are of great importance for delaying the pathological progression of AD. This protocol introduces a brain-intestine coordination acupuncture method. The experimental results showed that this acupuncture protocol could modulate intestinal flora, suppress intestinal inflammation and neuroinflammation in AD model mice, thereby achieving bidirectional therapeutic effects on brain-intestine regulation. Moreover, a mouse bag fixation device for acupuncture treatment was described in this study, which can reduce stress reaction and improve experimental efficiency.