Acupuncture and moxibustion reduces neuronal edema in Alzheimer’s disease rats

To examine the possible correlation of aberrant Wnt signaling and pathological changes in Alzheimer's disease, we established a rat model of Alzheimer's disease and measured axin and β-catenin expression in the hippocampus. Rats were pretreated with moxibustion or electroacu-puncture, or both, at Baihui(GV20) and Shenshu(BL23). Axin expression was lower, β-catenin expression was greater, and neuronal cytoplasmic edema was visibly prevented in the rats that had received the pretreatments. Our results suggest that the mechanism underlying the neuro-protective effect of acupuncture and moxibustion in Alzheimer's disease is associated with axin and β-catenin expression in the Wnt signal transduction pathway.