The Potential for Acupuncture to Attenuate Hippocampal Apoptosis

Aims: To evaluate the potential for acupuncture to help mediate hippocampal apoptosis.

Study Design: Systematic Review.

Methodology: A search was conducted through PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science using the keywords “hippocampus,” “apoptosis” and “acupuncture” and found 37 qualified articles from January 2009 to March 2019.

Results: All of the qualifying studies reviewed strongly support that acupuncture decreases the incidence of hippocampal apoptosis.

Conclusion: It was clear that acupuncture can positively affect hippocampal apoptosis. The most frequently suggested mechanism was decreased BAX expression and increased BCL-2 expression, often in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, although it was only seen in about 1/3 of the studies reviewed. Future studies are needed to further investigate the exact mechanism associated with acupuncture in hippocampal apoptosis.