Electroacupuncture improves diabetic cognitive impairment rats by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation via induction of mitophagy

Diabetic cognitive impairment pose a significant threat to public health in our aging society. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated, which warrants further investigation. This study aimed to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture on cognitive impairment and its associated mechanisms. The diabetes model was induced via intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) into Sprague-Dawley rats combined with a high-fat and high-sugar diet. The learning and memory abilities of the rats were assessed using behavioral tests. Electron microscopy and hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining were used to identify the histological changes of neurons in the CA1 area of the rat hippocampal CA1. An examination of related indicators was performed by Western blotting including NLRP3 inflammasome-associated proteins Caspase-1, IL-18, IL1β, NLRP3, and P62, and mitophagy-related proteins Pink1, LC3, and Parkin. After modeling, rats displayed impaired learning and memory functions. The administration of electroacupuncture treatment alleviated diabetic cognitive impairment, described as shorter escape latency and an increased frequency of platform crossings. The damaged morphological and ultrastructural changes of neurons in rat hippocampal CA1 area can be alleviated through electroacupuncture treatment. Furthermore, in-depth studies suggest that electroacupuncture treatment can suppress NLRP3 inflammasome activation through induction of Pink1, LC3 and Parkin expression. Electroacupuncture treatment can attenuate NLRP3 inflammasome activation by promoting mitophagy, eventually improving cognitive impairment in (STZ)-treated rats with a high-fat die.