Cardio-Cerebral Protection by Electroacupuncture in a Murine Model of Chronic Hypoxia.

Abstract

This study established a 12-week chronic hypoxia murine model to investigate the cardio-cerebral protective effects of electroacupuncture. Existing therapeutic approaches for hypoxia-related disorders, such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy and certain pharmaceuticals, are frequently constrained by poor accessibility or single-target mechanisms. To address this gap, we hypothesized that EA stimulation at acupoints traditionally employed for cognitive enhancement could simultaneously improve both cognitive and cardiac functions under chronic hypoxic conditions. Thirty male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to three groups: control group (Con), chronic hypoxia model group (CH), and chronic hypoxia plus electroacupuncture treatment group (CH+EA). The CH and CH+EA groups were exposed to a hypoxic environment (10.0% ± 0.5% O₂) for 8 h daily over 12 weeks, with the CH+EA group additionally undergoing daily EA stimulation at GV20, GV24, and bilateral ST36 during the last 2 weeks. Behavioral tests, echocardiographic assessment, and histopathological analysis revealed that EA not only significantly alleviated anxiety-like behaviors and improved spatial memory but also enhanced multiple cardiac function parameters, while reducing hippocampal neuronal damage and myocardial remodeling. These findings demonstrate that EA confers cardio-cerebral protective effects, which align with the Traditional Chinese Medicine "holistic concept", thereby providing a novel non-pharmacological intervention strategy for hypoxia-related cardiocerebral comorbidities.