[Electroacupuncture improves learning-memory ability in diabetic rats with cognitive impairment via inhabitating proinflammatory cytokine production through p38 MAPK and STAT3 pathway].

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway in hippocampus and frontal cortex of diabetic rats with cognitive impairment (CI), as well as the mechanism of EA in protection against CI in diabetic rats. METHODS:Thirty SD rats were divided into normal, model and EA groups ( nRESULTS:After modeling, FBG and the escape latency of Morris water maze tasks were significantly increased in the model group compared with the normal group ( PPPPPPPCONCLUSION:EA can inhibit the over production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in diabetic rats with CI, possibly by regulating the expression of p38 MAPK and STAT3 pathway.